Ecumenism

Lecturer: Sr. Oso

 78/10/2013

 What is Ecumenism?

Etymologically, ecumenism derives from the Greek word oikos or oikoumenē meaning
“inhabited.” Ecumenism from this root derivation implies the idea of the inhabited world.
 But why ecumenism?

The inhabited world has been construed as one single entity. In this light, the promotion of
ecumenism is geared towards achieving oneness especially among those who believe in Christ.
The concept of ecumenism results from the fact that there is a division among Christians.
Ecumenism therefore seeks ways of bringing together all those who believe in Christ. In his
priestly prayer, Jesus prayed that those who believe in him may be one just as he and the Father
are one. Christ’s prayer for Christian unity was premised on the fact that there certainly would
be divisions among his followers. Jesus had foreseen this fact and so he prayed for unity among
the believers.

Even during his earthly life, division showed its head among the twelve themselves. James and
John through their mother requested for a priviledged position thereby incurring the anger of the
rest. In the Acts of the Apostles, we are told of the dispute between the Jews and the Hellenist
concerning the distribution of food. There are so many other instances showing signs of division
in the early Christian community. The very first council at Jerusalem was necessitated because
of disagreements among believers. This division among Christians is a scandal. It cast doubt on
the authenticity of the Christian message. Division among Christian therefore waters down the
message of salvation brought about by Christ. The aim and goal of ecumenism from this
perspective is geared towards uniting all Christian in a common purpose so as the make credible
the message of the gospel.

Of course with the present situation in the world, it is not possible to imagine that all Christians
would one day come together in one denomination again. However, ecumenism aims at
conscentising Christians that we all have a common purpose in Christ.

 10/10/2013

 Course Outline

1. Definition of ecumenism
2. Reasons for ecumenism
3. The origin of ecumenism
4. The initiatives in the Catholic Church for ecumenism
5. Perspectives of ecumenism from different churches
6. Catholic principles of ecumenism
7. The practice of ecumenism in Nigeria

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 Definition

Ecumenism could be described as a Christian movement initiated by Christians themselves to

restore the unity of the church prayed for by Christ – ut unu sunct: “That they may be one.”
Ecumenism comprises all the activities of the Christians from the year 1910 geared towards the
unity of the Christians. Ecumenism has as one of its aims and goals the transcendence of all
creed, rituals and quality.
Ecumenism can also be described as the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit. Grace and gift of the
Holy Spirit because it is the Holy Spirit that moves the Christians to seek for unity. We should
therefore live it out for the good of all. We need to work towards it. Unfortunately however, our
capacity to understand this is not the same as our capacity to actualize it. Sometimes we have
these ideals only in principles but not in actuality. Consequently, ecumenism is presented to us
as a challenge and problem grafted into the history of the church so that we can live it with
renewed energy. Ecumenism aims at the achievement of unity among Christians and the
eradication of the division that exists among Christians.
From the above perspectives, it is clear that ecumenism is an urgent call among Christians. The
search for Christian unity is therefore one of the constituent characteristics of the contemporary
Christian history.
 Forms of ecumenism

There are different groups that the Church engages with in the pursuit of ecumenism:
1. Catholic and Protestants
2. Catholic and the Orthodox church
3. Protestants and Pentecostals
4. Protestants among themselves
5. Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)

 17/10/2013

 Reasons for Ecumenism

Looking at Christendom today, we observe that the situation among Christians is that of
disunity. This disunity results from factors based on doctrinal and ecclesiastical discipline that
has led to various Councils in history beginning with the first Council, that of Jerusalem. The
various heresies that have confronted the Church down the ages have also provoked so many
councils – heresies such as Arianism, Donatism, Nestorianism and the other ‘isms’ that have
existed in the past. The division among Christians therefore necessitated the call for unity of
purpose, administration, discipline and orderliness.
There are also other factors in history such as political, juridical, and economic factors that have
played their part in this Christian disunity. For instance, the final schism between the Eastern
and Western Church was partly due to the use of language in the liturgy. In the west, Latin was
the official language while in the East, Greek was the official language. As each side wanted to
maintain the use of its own language at all cost, the two sides sadly separated in 1054. There
were also theological differences.

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The great reformation of the 16 th century further divided the Christian world. The war that
occurred from 1618 to 1648 in Europe led to the recognition of the equality of all religions. This
recognition also necessitated the need for ecumenical movement in order to respect all peoples.
This division in Christendom affected virtually all facets of life: political, religious as well as
economical dimensions and did not promote the mission of the Church towards evanglisation.
Instead, it became a serious hindrance or setback.
The division among the Churches opens many wounds because the history of the division of
Christianity is a tragic one; full of disturbing images. This division is a scandal as well as a
tragedy. The separation or split of churches represented a violation of the mandate of Jesus and
the apostles and this is a permanent scandal which removes from all the churches the credibility
they have to preach to the society.
The strength of evangelization became diminished. If those who announce the message of
Christ are themselves divided, how can they preach unity? This disunity equally led to different
theories of interpreting the message of Christ. Each church have different version of the good
news to which they adhere. This makes it even more difficult for people to believe the message
of the gospel because ‘the would be Christians’ were often confused as to which church
preaches the true message.
When we think of Jesus’ prayer of unity for his followers and compare it with the situation on
ground, we have serious reasons to doubt. It appears that the Father did not hear or grant the
prayer of Jesus for Christian unity. Instead, what we see is rather divisions. It makes it difficult
for those who have not accepted the faith to believe in Jesus. Unity among Christians would
have been the strongest proof or evidence that Christians belong to Christ and also that Christ
was actually sent by the Father. This division in Christendom is a grave stage capable of
damaging the work of Christ because it can prevent people from embracing the faith. From this
perspective therefore, it becomes evident that we need ecumenism under which all Christian
could operate as a body.
Ecumenism do not end in being a theme of common reflection in the church, it deals also with
suspended materials. In other words, wherever an ecumenical dialogue or project stops at any
given time, it should be taken up again from there. From this, it follows that ecumenism is an
on-going process which has no end. Ecumenism seen from this light is therefore a path treaded
in hope.
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The word “ecumenism” is derived from the Greek word “oikoumene” which means “the whole
inhabited world.” The ecumenical movement today has been brought about by the conviction of
Christians that a divided Christianity is a scandal to the world and contrary to the will of Jesus
Christ. Consequently ecumenism is limited to the Christian Churches.
Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for unity. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of
those who will believe in me through their words, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are
in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me –
Jn 17: 20 – 21.

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 24/10/2013

 The Origin of Ecumenism

The first Christian assembly ever held was the Council of Nicaea in the year in 325 AD. At this
assembly the churches gathered to deal with the Arian heresy. Since then, there have been
several other assemblies and councils held to deal with issues affect the church. As Christianity
grew and expanded, problems within Christianity also multiplied. Various traditions emerged
within the Church. The Church as one Body of Christ was divided into Eastern and Western
blocks. From these two sides of the Church, emerged different traditions.
The major issues which actually divided the church were on theological basis. The Western
Church also split into two great parts – Catholicism and Protestantism. Not only that, the
Protestants also split into various denominations based on Biblical interpretations and
theological conclusions. The objective of ecumenism as a result of these divisions was the need
for convergence of all the churches in order to influence world government; to put an end to the
wars that have ravaged the world and to restore peace in the world. The first major ecumenical
council or assembly was held in 1907 in The Hague; though the world council of churches held
its first meeting in 1948.
 Early Ecumenical Assembly: Initial Controversies

The major issue that brought about controversies in the first ecumenical assembly was the
doctrine on the Trinity – the Filioque controversy. This is a doctrine concerning the procession
of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son. The Church in the West teaches that the Holy
Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son while the Eastern Church holds that the Holy Spirit
proceeds from the Father through the Son. This teaching also has an effect on Christology. The
Church affirms that Christ is God from God; Light form Light; Consubstantial with the Father.
This is absolute monotheism – the Son is the same with the Father. Other councils followed
after this which dealt with other issues such as appollonialism, Nestorianism and so forth.
 Early Christian Councils were concerned with resolving conflicts in order to restore
Christian fellowship. The great schism however took place in the year 1054. To a large extent,
this disunity had been prepared for by the Filioque controversy. There were also political issues
that contributed. In the west, the official language was Latin while the Eastern part uses Greek.
This led to the controversy of supremacy of Rome over Constantinople. Then also the issues of
married clergy – in the East, the clergy marry but the western church maintained celibacy for
the clergy. The tension created by these factors reached its climax in 1054 when the Patriarch of
Constantinople and Pope Leo excommunicated each other.

Though ecumenism started as a small assembly of churches in the Roman Empire in the first
four centuries, it became a global issue with the global expansion of Christianity. More troubles
however followed. In 1517, the church Reformation further divided the Church - some of the
major points being on justification. In other words, how does one get right with God? The
Catholic Church holds that one achieves justification by work to support the salvation wrought
by Christ together with a priest’s pronouncement of absolution from sin.
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Filioque, combination of Latin words meaning “and from the

Son,” added to the Nicene Creed by the Third Council of Toledo
in 589: Credo in Spiritum Sanctum qui ex patre filioque procedit
(“I believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and
Son”).

It refers to the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Spirit from

the Father and the Son. Although it was accepted by the Western
church as a belief by the end of the 4th century, the formula was
not authorized for general liturgical use before the early part of
the 11th century. It was assailed vehemently by Photius, the
patriarch of Constantinople, in 867 and 879.

The Eastern Church did not accept the addition on two distinct
grounds:
1. The addition was made unilaterally, altering a creed
approved by early ecumenical councils; and
2. The formula reflected a particular Western conception of
the Trinity, to which most Byzantine theologians objected. The
filioque clause was added in response to Arianism, which denied
the full divinity of the Son.

To the Byzantines, however, the clause also appeared to

compromise the primacy (“monarchy”) of the Father, which
according to the Eastern Church is the source of deity. An
unsuccessful attempt to reconcile the two points of view was
made at the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1439. The Eastern
and Western churches have remained separate, and the doctrine
represented by the term filioque stands as one of the primary
points of difference between them.

 Text books

1. W. A. Viser: The Genesis and formation of the World Council of Churches

2. William Rusch: Ecumenism, A Movement Towards Church Unity
3. Ruth Rouse and Stephen Charles Neil: A History of Ecumenical Movement
4. Oliver Onwubiko: Building Unity
5. O. U. Kalu: Divided People of God

 31/10/2013

Martin Luther who championed the reformation rejected the Catholic Church’s teaching
concerning justification. He posited from Scriptures that justification is by Faith alone (Sola
Fidei). He further explained that justification is a gracious act from God towards the sinner who
has put his faith in Christ rather than the righteous act the sinner has done – the implication of
this being that man is a graced sinner and that only by grace can a man be saved (Sola Gratia).

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There are other issues of conflict that exists between the Catholic Church and the reformers
such as the number of sacraments and their character: are they seven or three and which are the
most important among them? Another issue of conflict concerns the nature of the presence of
Christ in the Eucharist, the authority of the Scripture (Sola Scriptula) over the authority of the
magisterium.
After the reformation, theological controversies leading to division continued to grow. As
reformation spread, people were free to express their theological views and church tradition.
Different denominations were formed and in most cases these denominations were tied to
particular territory or countries and nationalities. This was the time when we began to have such
names as: The Roman Catholic Church, The German Lutheran Church, The Anglican Church of
England and so forth.

These divisions and particularisation of denomination equally led to clashes between Christian
Churches. In Nigeria for example, the Anglican and the Catholic Missionaries clashed in
different places. Also missionaries encountered different problems on the field. These problems
which they encountered were so to speak, the bedrock that triggered the desire for ecumenical
assembly in other to find lasting solution to them. The early 20 th century has been referred to as
the birth of ecumenism. However, the root of ecumenism dates back before this period.

 Reasons for the formation of World Council of Churches.

After World War II, two groups referred to as “Life and Work” and “Faith and Order” were
formed to bring about Church unity. They started working towards having a single
organization. Eventually these two groups merged as one to form World Council of Churches in
1948. Prior to this, different preparations had been made towards forming World Council of
Churches. The first of these took place in 1910 in Edinburgh where a missionary conference
was held for the first time. This conference was an initiative within the Protestant Churches
aimed at interdenominational cooperation, formation of Bible Society, Application of Christian
values on life and work (social, economic and political life).
In 1919, the actual formation of World Council of Churches began. At this time, the Church of
Constantinople considered the need of having what is called the League of Churches whose aim
was to have fellowship and cooperation of churches. The Patriarch of Constantinople then made
an appeal for ecumenical assembly. The synod of Constantinople accepted and undertook the
plan for this by setting up a committee that worked out the practical modalities. Several
conferences were equally held for this purpose such as:
 Lausanne in 1927
 Stockholm in 1929
 Oxford and Edinburgh in 1938
 Amsterdam in 1948.
The conference held at Amsterdam was the final one that led to the conference which was titled
“Man’s Disorder and God’s Design.” Though Catholic Church was represented at this council,
she was not actually a member of the council but came as an observer so also was the Southern
Baptist Church of America.

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The World Council of Churches meets every six (6) years. In the absence of the council, 26
executive members meet often to prepare for the next conference.
 7/10/2012

 The Western Schism

Some people believed that the Western Schism could have been avoided if only Martin Luther
have balanced his Augustinian theology with that of St. Thomas Aquinas. The schism in the
western church as we know was spearheaded by him though there were equally others who were
involved.
The theological and religious situation in the western church at the time of the reformation was
already in decadence and many people admitted the fact that a reformation was really needed to
address the situation. However, the way that Martin Luther went about it was not the best
approach. Many people attributed the origin of the reformation to Luther’s own personal
problems such as his: unchaste life, his pride, spiritual negligence and ignorance of the tradition
of the church he criticized. According to the opinion of some, Martin Luther was not schooled
in the theology of Augustine and Aquinas but in that William of Ockham.
Luther’s reformation is just one of the reformations that took place in the 16 th century. Those
who supported this reform are often referred to as Protestants. The notion “Protestant” often
have a negative connotation. However, the term has a positive connotation at the same time. In
this regard, Protestantism stands for those who have the freedom of faith to challenge what they
consider incompatible with their faith or belief.
Many people think that the Protestant reformation started as a result of the abuses on the part of
the Catholic Church. For instance, the sale of indulgences, desolate life-style of the high clergy,
the issue of the second-rate lower clergy. These problems were there in the Church at this time
and the Church on her part had taken note of them though she had not reacted towards
redressing them before Martin Luther launched his attack on the Church.
The real originality of Protestantism is found in a fresh re-reading of the Bible done by Martin
Luther himself. In other words, re-reading the Bible gave him new insights. Based on this
insight, he formulated his three principles of:
1. Sola Scriptura: The Scripture alone has authority
2. Sola fide: As long as we have faith in Christ, we are saved.
3. Sole gracia: Man is a graced sinner – we are saved by God’s grace alone. There is
nothing good a man can do, it is only by God’s grace that we are saved.
Protestantism tried to reform the Church from within but this attempt failed because of Rome,
the Pope and the Roman Emperor. The protestant ecclesiology maintained that the Church is
wherever the word of God is proclaimed rightly and the sacraments institutes by Christ are
administered in agreement with the gospel. In other words, the Church is not an institution but a
community of pardoned sinners brought together by the word of God. The implication of this is
that the Church is an earthly institution without any divine foundation.

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This ecclesiology affects the ministry in the protestant Church even today because for them, the
ministry is needed but pastors are not priests and have no special powers or character which
separates them from the ordinary people in Church. According to them lay people can carry out
the function of the priest if the occasion for it arises. This question of the nature of the ministry
continues to constitute a great gap between the Protestants, the Catholics and the Eastern
Church in ecumenical councils today.
 14/11/2013

The Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Churches all recognize the sacrament of baptism. On the
Eucharist however, there is no such recognition. According to the Catholic Church, there are
certain values in the Lord’s Supper celebrated in the Protestant Church but it is deficient
because it is not presided over by a priest that is validly ordained in the apostolic tradition. Also
the ecclesiology of the Catholic Church maintains that the Church exists only where there is a
Bishop who is within the apostolic tradition. That is why the priests who were ordained by
Archbishop Leverbre were not accepted as validly ordained. He was not in communion with the
Holy See.
Protestants on ministry maintain or accept the common priesthood of all the believers but would
not acknowledge that its ministers have the intrinsic power to effect a sacrament. Within
Protestantism itself, there was schism which ended up in the founding of new Churches that
claimed to be Protestant as well. An example is the Baptist Church founded in the 17 th century.
 The Orthodox Churches

There are three branches of the Orthodox Church all located in the East.
 The Eastern Orthodox Church is that Church which broke away in 1054 after the council
of Chalcedon. Out of the many Ecumenical Councils held in the Church, the Eastern Orthodox
Church accepted 7.
The Orthodox Church sees itself as the authentic continuation of the first Christian communities
established by the apostles of Jesus in the cities of the ancient Mediterranean world and spread
by missionary activity throughout Eastern Europe. Today most Orthodox Christians live in
Russia, Eastern Europe, or on the Balkan Peninsula, but there are also large Orthodox
communities in North and South America as well as Australia, and smaller numbers in Western
Europe, Africa, and Asia.

In 1054 the leaders of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians formally
condemned one another for having introduced innovations into Christianity, and the alienation
was given formal status as a schism (division). Since that time Christianity in eastern and
Western Europe has had decidedly different histories.

 Oriental Orthodox Church (451 – 454). The Oriental Orthodox Church did not accept
the Council of Chalcedon.
The earliest decisive split in Christendom took place in 451 as a result of the Council of
Chalcedon, which was called to consider the claims of the Monophysites. The churches that
rejected the statement of faith adopted by the council are the Armenian Church, the Coptic

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church of Alexandria, the Ethiopian church, the Syrian church, and the Syrian church in India.
Sometimes known as the Oriental Orthodox, these churches today include more than 22 million
members.
 Eastern Uniates Church. The Eastern Uniates is that Church which have full communion
of faith and sacraments with Rome but with a different tradition which dates back to the
Oriental Orthodox. Example is the Maronite Church.

Prior to the schism, the Church was seen as Pentache with its main centers at: Alexandria,
Constantinople, Antioch, Ephesus and Rome.

 Differences between Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Church

1. The oriental Orthodox Church maintains that Christ has two natures and as such, there
are two persons in Christ.

2. The question of certain teachers accepted as saints by one and not the other – Dioscolus
for example.

3. The meaning and place of certain communion in the life of the Church – Eastern Church
7; Oriental Church 4.

4. Jurisdictional question related to the unity of the Church at local, regional and world
level – primacy.

 21/11/2013

 The Differences between the Eastern Church and the Western Church

There are two basic difference between the two churches centred chiefly on Christology and
Ecclesiology. The Christological difference has to do with the procession of the Holy Spirit –
the Filioque controversy. The Western Church holds that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the
Father and the Son while the Eastern Church maintains that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the
Father through the Son. The problem of Filioque was introduced or inserted into the Creed by
the Western Church - originally it was not there.
The Councils of Lyons 1274, and Ferrari Florence 1438 – 39 have tried respectively to resolve
this problem but without success. The Eastern Church maintained that the only way of
maintaining the unity between the two Churches is for the West to remove the assertion. The
West however, maintained its ground and would not acquiesce to such a demand.
With regards to the Ecclesiological problem, the Western Church holds that the Pope have
supreme authority over all the Churches. In other words, the Pope has the right to intervene in
any of the Church at any time. This teaching gives the Pope primacy over the universal Church.
The Eastern Church however, would not accept this teaching. She maintains that the Pope is just
like any other Bishops in the Church and has not right over any other Bishop and his
jurisdiction. She sees the Pope as an equal among other Bishops. In the East, each Bishop is

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autonomous and has full control over his diocese. She holds that the Pope has no right to
interfere in the affairs of any other Church other than the one his is in charge.
 Possible Solution Proffered by the Easter Church to this problem.

In an effort to find solution to the problem existing between the Eastern and Western Church,
the Eastern Church made a suggestion that ecumenical councils should be as a charismatic
celebration in the Church and not as an authority in the Church because the true definitions and
intentions of that council should be distinct from the terminology used by the council.
Furthermore, concerning the question of anathema, it would not be necessary lifting it from
Churches and the question of those who are saints is not necessary because whether a person is
recognized as a saint or not, a person remains whatever he/she is before God.
 The Catholic Church’s Initiation on Ecumenism

The Catholic Church is a late comer into the ecumenical movement. From the time of the
reformation till the time of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church’s attitude towards
ecumenism has not been positive. The Church’s position took the line of an uninviting integrism
that is, demanding submission as a condition of unity. The Church’s idea was one of the return
of all those who have broken away from the Church to the Catholic Church.
The ecumenical attitude of the Church before Vatican II is found in the document of Pope Pius
XI: Mortalium Animos of 1928. In this document, the Pope says that there is only one way that
the Christian unity is possible – by the return of all those who have broken away from the
Catholic Church. This attitude of the Church is premised on the understanding the Church has
of herself. The Church at this time sees herself solely as the Church of Christ. It is this
understanding therefore that led to the notion that outside the Church, there is no salvation.
With Vatican II however, came a new self-understanding of the Church. Instead of seeing
herself solely as the Church of Christ, the Church says that the Church of Christ subsists in the
Catholic Church. In other words, the Church of Christ could be seen in other places. The Church
admits that there are many elements of sanctification outside its structure. There is something of
the Church beyond the limit of the Catholic Church.
The Church declared that all those who are baptized are incorporated into the Church. Vatican
II affirms that the Church is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honoured by the name
Christians but who do not profess the Catholic faith in its wholeness or who do not uphold the
same communion under the Successor of Peter. With the recognition and the according of the
ecclesiastical statues to non-catholic churches, the Catholic Church’s attitude and relationship
with them is bound to be affected.
With Vatican II, especially with its decree on ecumenism, the Catholic Church did not just
embrace the universal ecumenical movement but committed itself to this movement. This
openness started with Pope John XXIII. This new attitude of the Church towards ecumenism is
clearly shown in many aspects of Vatican II in its documents especially Lumen Gentium,
Orietalium Ecclessialium, and Decree on Ecumenism. So with these three documents it
becomes clear that the Church has committed herself irrevocably to the ecumenical movement.

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Furthermore, we have the various groups of association formed after Vatican II as the Church’s
opening to ecumenism such as:
1. Pontifical Council for the promotion of Christian unity
2. Catholic/Anglican international Commission
3. Committee for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue
4. International Colloquium between Catholic and Baptist Church
5. Evangelical and Catholic dialogue on Mission
6. Joint Lutheran/Roman Catholic study Commission
7. Catholic/Orthodox theological Commission
These commissions opened up opportunities for meetings between Catholics and other
Churches. The Protestants however, wants unity in faith, sacrament, and ministry without
however, seeking consolidation of forms and structures. The Catholic Church however, did not
accept this. The Catholic Church planed a principle of ecumenism which is based on loyalty to
Catholic tradition and on trust that the yearning for unity comes from the Holy Spirit who
guides the Church.
 Catholic Principles on Ecumenism

These are found in Vatican II decree on ecumenism. In the main, they are:
1. Through the Incarnation, God has united the whole of humanity. It is the will of Christ
that his followers should be one.

2. The Catholic Church’s unity is hinged around the Petrine Ministry; in other words,
around the Pope. The Church is seen as God’s only flock. The unity of the one……

3. The history of the Church is the history of Church’s division. All Churches including the
Catholic Church share in the sin of this division. It is the duty of all Churches to bring an end to
this division

4. We cannot hold the present members of other Churches responsible for the historic
division which took place back in history.

5. The Catholic Church respects and regards with affection members of other Churches and
regards them as brothers and sister because of their baptism.

6. Baptism creates a bond of communion though imperfect between the Catholic Church
and other Churches and ecclesial communities.

7. The ecumenical movement is all about the removal of all obstacles to full communion

8. All the baptized are members of the One Church of Christ and therefore children of the
Catholic Church.

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9. Other Churches and ecclesial communities though deprived of the fullness of the Church
are means of salvation for their members. In other words, non-Catholic members can be saved
in their different churches where they are.

10. Many of the Church’s precious gifts: scripture, life of grace, the virtues, gifts of the
Spirit can actually exist outside the Catholic Church

11. It is through the Catholic Church alone that we have the fullness of all the means of
salvation because it is through Peter and the Apostles that Jesus entrusted the blessings of the
new covenant and he wishes to bring it fully in his body all those who belong to his Body the
Church.

 16/1/2014

 Ways and means of implementing the Principles

The Catholic Church has accepted and joined the cause of Christian unity. However, she has her
own principles concerning the implementation of the above mentioned principles on ecumenism
effectively. The first thing is that the Catholic Church recognizes that the task of restoring
Christian unity is a task for the whole Church. As a result, Vatican II in her decree of
ecumenism says that the restoration of Christian unity involves the whole Church. In other
words, both the clergy and the lay faithful must join hands in bringing about the Christian unity.
All are to participate according to their ability, position and talents in the Church. However,
Catholics can only do this in accordance with the directives of their pastors. The implementation
of the principles calls for the establishment of structures within which it could be done.
 Ecumenical Directives

1. As Catholic, we need to act together and in agreement with our Bishops

2. Catholic participants in an ecumenical project should respect the norms established by

the local ecclesiastical authority.

3. It is for the diocesan Bishops to take into account what have to be decided at the regional
and national level to determine how Catholics should participate in any ecumenical project.

 23/1/2014

 The Practice of Ecumenism in Nigeria

Basically the practice of ecumenism in is through the Christian Association of Nigeria.

However, there are other sub-groups working under CAN, but CAN is the main umbrella
through which ecumenical dialogue is carried out in Nigeria.
The missionaries who came to Nigeria in the 19 th century brought with them divided
Christianity. However, there was a movement towards having what is called union of churches
aimed at bringing together all those missionaries that came to Nigeria. Unfortunately however,
this plan never materialized. As a result and coupled with the incessant religious crisis in the

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Lecturer: Sr. Oso

Northern part of the country, Christians in Nigerian were compelled to for the Christian
Association of Nigeria.
 Functions of the Christian Association of Nigeria

The ecumenical spirit in Nigeria could be summerised as the activities of the Christian
Association of Nigeria which includes the following:
1. Christian Health Association of Nigeria. Through this agency, the Christian Association
of Nigeria works towards the subsidization of drugs for the common people.

2. Bible Society. Through this agency CAN, works towards the production of Bibles
3. Ecumenism in Nigeria lends its voice against violence and terrorism in the country
4. Ecumenism in Nigeria also demands justice for the oppressed in the land
5. Ecumenism in Nigeria appeals to the conscience of the government in Nigeria in such
issues as legalization of abortion.

 Problems/challenges of ecumenism in Nigeria

1. One of the major challenges facing ecumenism in Nigeria is the multiplicity of different
bodies in Nigeria. There are smaller bodies that unite different denominations in Nigeria that
share things in common other than CAN. With this multiplicity in ecumenical bodies, there are
certain reservations towards full commitment to the general body and more dedication to these
smaller bodies.

2. The problem of why do I have to give up my own doctrine in the name of ecumenism. In
other words, different denominations are unwilling to give up their tents for the welfare of the
general interest of the main body.

3. Financing. Financing ecumenical movements is another major problem facing

ecumenism in Nigeria. Often people prefer to donate generously towards the development of the
smaller groups to which they belong than to the commitment of the ecumenical movement.

4. There is also the problem of some churches supporting gay marriages or women
ordinations while others do not. To this extent, it becomes difficult for those who do not accept
such practices to sponsor any cause which will promote the interest of those churches that
accept such practices.

5. In Nigeria, there is also the problem of mismanagement of funds of CAN.

6. Theological problems. The Catholic Church for instance will not throw away its
theological teaching on the priesthood in order to accommodate other churches in the name of
ecumenism. These theological differences are particular to each church or denomination.
The richness of ecumenism is when different theological view representing the diversity of
humanity are listened to and embraced in appreciation. There other problems that militate
against ecumenical unity such as political, cultural and historical problems.

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