Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Roman Catholic Church department, active since the 1960s}}

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The '''Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity''', previously named the '''Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity''' ('''PCPCU'''), is a [[dicastery]] within the [[Holy See]] whose origins are associated with the [[Second Vatican Council]] which met intermittently from 1962 to 1965.

==Origins==

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[[Pope John XXIII]] wanted the [[Catholic Church]] to engage in the contemporary [[Ecumenism|ecumenical movement]]. He established a '''Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity''' (SPCU)<ref> International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, [https://iarccum.org/org/?o=444 Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity (SPCU)], accessed 19 April 2023</ref> on 5 June 1960 as one of the preparatory commissions for the council, and appointed [[cardinalate|Cardinal]] [[Augustin Bea]] as its first president. The secretariat invited other churches and world communions to send observers to the council.

The Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity prepared and presented a number of documents to the council:

Following the council, in 1966 [[Pope Paul VI]] confirmed the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity as a permanent [[dicastery]] of the [[Holy See]].

In the apostolic constitution ''[[Pastor bonus]]'' (28 June 1988), [[Pope John Paul II]] renamed the secretariat the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

*The Western Churches and Ecclesial Communities and the [[World Council of Churches]].

The dicastery has a twofold role:

*The promotion within the [[Catholic Church]] of an authentic ecumenical spirit according to the conciliar decree ''[[Unitatis redintegratio]]'';

*To develop dialogue and collaboration with the other churches and world communions.

Since its creation, it has also established a cordial cooperation with the [[World Council of Churches]] (WCC). Twelve Catholic theologians have been members of the WCC's[[Faith and Order Commission]] since 1968.

The PCPCU is responsible for naming Catholic observers at various ecumenical gatherings and in its turn invites observers or "fraternal delegates" of other churches or ecclesial communities to major events of the Catholic Church.

At present, the PCPCU is engaged in an international theological dialogue with each of the following churches and world communions:

*The [[Assyrian Church of the East]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/sub-index/index_east-assyrian.htm|title=The Holy See - The Roman Curia - Pontifical Councils - Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity|website=www.vatican.va|access-date=2017-11-25}}</ref>

*The [[Oriental Orthodox churches]];

*The [[International Lutheran Council]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadianlutheran.ca/roman-catholic-church-and-international-lutheran-council-to-begin-dialogue/|title=Roman Catholic Church and International Lutheran Council to begin dialogue|date=21 November 2013|website=Canadianlutheran.ca|access-date=25 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilc-online.org/2013/11/19/pontifical-council-for-promoting-christian-unity-pcpcu-and-the-international-lutheran-council-ilc-to-hold-informal-international-dialogue/|title=Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the International Lutheran Council (ILC) to Hold Informal International Dialogue - International Lutheran Council|date=19 November 2013|website=Ilc-online.org|access-date=25 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/11/a-new-confessional-direction-in-catholic-lutheran-dialogue|title=A New (Confessional) Direction in Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue - Mathew Block|website=Firstthings.com|access-date=25 October 2017}}</ref>

*Some{{Which|date=July 2022}} [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] groups.

{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2021}}

Directed by a Cardinal President, assisted by a Secretary, a Joint Secretary, and an Under-Secretary.

;Current leadership

*Secretary: Flavio Pace, 2024–

;Presidents

*[[Augustin Bea]] (6June 1960 – 16 November 1968)

*[[Johannes Willebrands]] (12April 1969 – 12 December 1989)

*[[Edward Cassidy]] (12December 1989 – 3 March 2001)

*[[Walter Kasper]] (3March 2001 – 1 July 2010)

*[[Kurt Koch]] (1July 2010 – present)

;Secretaries

*[[Johannes Willebrands]] (28June 1960 – 12 April 1969)

*[[Jean Jérôme Hamer]] (12April 1969 –14June 1973)

*{{ill|Pierre Duprey|de|Pierre Duprey}}, M. Afr. (25April 1983 – 16 March 1999)

*[[Jean-Claude Périsset]] (16November 1996 to 12 November 1998)

*[[Walter Kasper]] (16March 1999 –3March 2001)

*[[Marc Ouellet]] (3March 2001 –15November 2002)

*[[Brian Farrell (bishop)|Brian Farrell]], L.C. (19 December 2002– 23 February 2024)<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 02 27 New Secretary DPCU |url=http://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/news/2024/2024-02-27-nuovo-segretario-dpuc.html |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=www.christianunity.va}}</ref>

*Flavio Pace (23 February 2024 – present)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Resignations and Appointments |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/02/23/240223a.html |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=press.vatican.va}}</ref>

The council is responsible for working with other churches on ecumenical translations of scripture, and promoted the establishment of the [[Catholic Biblical Federation]].{{Cn|date=October 2021}}

The [[Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews]] is the responsibility of the PCPCU, while the [[Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with Muslims]] comes under the direction of the [[Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue]]. This is because when the council was being created the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews was consulted as to whether it wished to come under the Inter-Religious Dialogue Council, it declined and thus remains part of the Promoting Christian Unity Council.{{Cn|date=October 2021}}

==Publications==

* ''[[The Bishop of Rome. Primacy and synodality in ecumenical dialogues and responses to the encyclical Ut unum sint]]'' (13 Jun 2024)<ref>{{cite press release | title=Publication of the document “The Bishop of Rome” | publisher=www.christianunity.va | date=10 Jun 2024 | url=http://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/news/2024/2024-06-10-publication--l-eveque-de-rome-.html | access-date=15 Jun 2024}}</ref>

{{Portal|Catholicism|Vatican City}}

*[http://www.christianunity.va/ official website]

*[http://www.christianunity.va/content/dam/unitacristiani/Collezione_Ut_unum_sint/The_Bishop_of_Rome/The%20Bishop%20of%20Rome.pdf ''The Bishop of Rome. Primacy and synodality in ecumenical dialogues and responses to the encyclical Ut unum sint'']

* [https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_pro_20051996_chrstuni_pro_en.html The Holy See: The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity]

*[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d16.htm GCatholic.org: Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity]

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[[Category:1960 establishments in Vatican City]]

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[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1960]]