More on Ecumenism

In an article entitled A Papal Priority: Ecumenism, ZENIT are carrying a report of an article in l'Osservatore Romano by the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Bishop Brian Farrell.

Bishop Farrell's article appears to recognise progress with regard to the Orthodox Churches (one can recall recent ceremonies in which Pope Benedict and Patriarch Bartholomew I have, as it were, shared a presiding role), but is much more cautious with regard to Protestant churches arising from the Reformation, where major differences still remain.

As the Pontiff noted then, Bishop Farrell said, there has been great "progress in the dialogue of charity" between the Catholic Church and the Eastern and Orthodox Churches, with exchanges of official visits from leading prelates from both traditions, and with a "sincere spirit of friendship between Catholics and Orthodox that has been growing in recent years."........

"Catholics and Protestants continue deeply divided in the concept of the reality of the Church, between a vision simultaneously spiritual and institutional -- Catholic -- and a vision exclusively spiritual -- Protestant," he said.