CHALLENGES TO PRACTICAL ECUMENISM AND

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS.

BY
19/3366, 19/035134051

SUBMITED TO
Fr. DENNIS UGWU

COURSE: CHURCH HISTORY

PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT

ST JOSEPH MAJOR SEMINARY, IKOT EKPENE,

AKWA-IBOM STATE
(AN AFFILIATE INSTITUTE OF PONTIFICAL
URBAN UNIVERSITY ROME AND UNIVERSITY OF
CALABAR, NIGERIA).

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE COURSE

REQUIRMENT FOR SECOND SEMESTER 2019/ 2020
ACCADEMIC SESSION.
AUGUST 2020
OUTLINE
1.0. INTRODUCTION
2.0. EXPLICATION OF TERMS
2.1. FOUR CHALLENGES
2.2. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
2.3. CONCLUSION
3.0. WORKS CITED
 1. Introduction

The restoration of Unity among all Christians is one of the principal

concerns of the second Vatican council. 1 That is the opening statement of the
Church’s decree on Ecumenism. One of the four marks of the Church is her
Universality. The Church is by Character Catholic. Catholic here means the
same thing as Universal. The Church is all embracing, accepting all irrespective
of race, colour, nationality, or language. In all the years of her existence, the
Church has tried to and has actually lived up to this image of Universality.
Up until the 16th Century Protestant Reformation, 2 championed by Martin
Luther, The Church held monopoly of faith, and although there had been
previous schisms, like that of the Eastern Orthodox Church breaking away from
the Roman Catholic Church in the 5 th Century , none divided the Church as this
had done. Other denominations sprang up. And with these new risings, a kind
of hostility, a bad feeling grew between the Church and the separated brethren.
This was due to their raging differences in the faith and other matters
concerning the sacraments of the Church. Attempts at peace had been made, but
none was successful. Not until the Second Vatican Council, was a consensus
reached. With the publication of “Unitatis Redintegratio” The Church Came
forward and stated that it was concerned about restoring unity.
Even though great steps have been made towards achieving this unity,
there are still challenges to general unity, or Ecumenism as the case may be.
This Work therefore is set at looking briefly at this challenges, and proffering
possible solutions.

1. Explication of Terms

The terms ecumenism and ecumenical come from

the Greek οἰκουμένη (Oikoumene) which means "the whole inhabited
world", and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman
Empire. The ecumenical vision comprises both the search for the visible
unity of the Church (Ephesians 4:3) and the "whole inhabited earth"
(Matthew 24:14) as the concern of all Christians.3
Ecumenism is the concept and principle by Christians of different church
traditions and denominations to develop closer relationships and better unity
between other traditions and denominations of Christianity. The adjective
Ecumenical  is also applied to any interdenominational initiative that
1
Vatican 2, Unitatis Redintegratio, 21 Nov. 1964
2
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation
3
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenism
 encourages greater cooperation between Christians and Churches, and is also
applied in the same way to other religions, or to refer to the unity between
religions and people in general, in a non-sectarian, non-denominational sense4.
Historically, the term "ecumenism" was originally used in the context of
the larger ecumenical councils organized with the support of Roman Emperor.
The aim of these councils was to clarify matters Christian Theology and
doctrine, leading to the meaning of unity behind the term "ecumenical". The
Ecumenical councils brought together bishops from across the Roman Empire,
with a total of seven ecumenical councils accepted to have been held by both
Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches before the Great Schism
dividing the two churches. Ecumenism in this regard could be defined as the
unity existing between all denominations of the Christian Religion.

2. Four Challenges to Ecumenism

We must endeavour to understand the tragic Consequence of the disunity of

Christians. First and foremost such disunity of Christians is contrary to the
expressed will of Jesus Christ, so every Christian should stand against it. It is for
this reason that the Protestants, Pentecostals, and the Orthodox have recognized the
confusion in which they find themselves as a result of their loss of unity. No
Christian, whether a Catholic or not, can deny that Christ expressed that He desired
that his own should be one. He who wants to be of Christ should have, seek and
keep that unity. Catholics believe that such a prayer could not remain unanswered,
and that those words refer to all Christians, since they are united in the same faith.
This explains the desire which urges them to communicate their unity to all those
who bear the name of Christ. All Christians, who are praying and working for
Christian unity, must react against disunity and notice how much harm it has done
against Christ’s will. Certainly, there are strious obstacles in the way of ecumenical
progress. There are some evangelical churches of foreign origin that are still hostile
towards Catholics. There are also numerous indigenous churches whose doctrines
are contrary to the very idea of ecumenism. However, we’ll be concentrating on
that of our local Church, The Church in Nigeria.

 Relations among the Churches.

The Orthodox Churches are foundational to the conciliar expression of
Ecumenism. The churches with broad ecumenical commitments of international
scope, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed,
Methodist, Disciples and the rest - find themselves engaged in a multitude of
4
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenism
unfamiliar and here-to-fore uncultivated relationships with emerging Pentecostal
and charismatic communities, including African initiated churches, so-called
mega-churches and congregations. For their part, many Pentecostal, Charismatic,
and Evangelical communities are experimenting with ways of relating to
ecumenical entities with which they have few historical links, but with whom they
are in agreement concerning the Christian social agenda. 
Manifestations of the ecumenical movement that have not been molded into the
shapes challenge us to consider the danger that a council of churches may become
too clerical, too dependent on leaders ordained by member churches. To the extent
that this occurs, the Council may lose the energy provided by active laity including
students, youth and women's fellowships. Interaction with less formal aspects of
Ecumenism will prod each denomination to re-examine issues of formation,
representation and inclusion. This is complicated, for shifting membership in an
existing council or the establishment of a new and broader forum may be
experienced as a threat to each given church's well-established positions or
accustomed sphere of influence.
However the Solution that could be tried is that in the context of the shifting
balance of global Christianity, the Ecumenical movement should realize that
representatives of each Church must learn to listen more carefully to what each
other saying and as well must reject the tendency to stereotype each other’s
cultures, listening instead to the actual voices of people from other Churches. But
wherever we find ourselves, one of the most significant challenges facing each of
us is the imperative of learning to listen. As already said, this is essential to
interchurch understanding, but it is equally crucial in the spheres of mission and
evangelism, international affairs, inter-religious relations. We need to become
better listeners, and as Churches we must teach those around us to listen with care.
Listen to those with whom you disagree. Listen to members of other churches, and
of other faiths, and of none. Create models of creative listening and clear
communication within your own churches and ecumenical organizations, and at the
flash-points in your communities. Communication across barriers, based on
disciplined listening, is a key to peace-making in our times. We need truly to
understand the weight of the burdens carried by others, and also to discover their
capacity to care. Having listened, having understood, we shall be expected to
respond to those whom we have heard in faith, hope and love.
  Lack of Common Voice.
On a practical level, this is an undertaking that is best pursued ecumenically
rather than on a church-by-church basis. But are the churches in sufficient
agreement on matters of faith and practice to join in voicing a common "Christian"
position on issues under discussion? The need for consensus on a wide range of
issues - theological, cultural, pragmatic is one of the most convincing arguments in
favor of multilateral dialogues among the churches. Bilateral dialogue between
pairs of churches or confessions have their place, but they are insufficient in
establishing a general sense of Christian identity. It is precisely on the question of
how Christians relate to people of other faiths that we currently require a new
round of multilateral theological engagement. As Christians, as churches, we
should be inquiring together as to God's purpose for us in a multi-cultural world
characterized by a diversity of faiths. What is expected of us as churches in this
day, and how does our Christian calling correspond to the tasks of proclamation,
truth-telling, co-existence and overcoming violence?
Whatever our need for internal dialogue on theological responses to pluralism,
there remains the unavoidable necessity of engaging ecumenically in what I may
call an agreement on certain issues of the faith, that of inter-denominational
dialogue, especially in clearing away misconceptions between all the different
denominations and rediscovering our shared values. The Ecumenical movement
should pursue such dialogue, initiating further occasions for interaction among all
whenever we are able, for the sake of mutual understanding and the defusing of
tensions among peoples.

 Gender Issues.
Some Churches, especially the Orthodox and Roman Catholic, are not
welcoming to the idea of female ordination. Women are not allowed to be
ministers, and although, they can be Religious, or even occupy positions within the
Laity, Female Ordination is a serious issue that sooner or later has to be
confronted.
In only a few ancient church documents can you find very brief passing
comments on the matter, usually in connection with some kind of conflict taking
place, but you will never find carefully thought-out reasons for prohibiting female
pastors. The first time anything like that arises is in the work of Thomas Aquinas,
the 13th-century systematic theologian. He argues that women cannot be ordained
because it is not proper for them to receive the tonsure (the special monk’s
haircut!) and because they are in a “state of subjection.” It doesn’t matter that there
were female prophetesses, since the gift of prophecy is not a sacrament, or rulers
like Deborah, since Deborah was a temporal, not spiritual Ruler.5
A difference in practice between our churches on ordination of women would
inevitably raise the question of its effect upon the goal of full communion and
organic unity. If this goal is thought of as requiring uniformity in doctrine and
discipline concerning candidates for ordination, the problem would indeed be a
serious one.6
However In addition to Christian witness within the family, women have long
been engaged in teaching, nursing, social work, missionary service, and care for
the young, the aged and the infirm. Although the diaconate has been opened to
women in the Episcopal Church, the role of presiding at the Eucharist has not been
opened to women in the practice of either church. Yet women are now serving as
Christ's ministers in many new ways: for example, ministries of peace, social
justice, theological education, and formal pastoral care of special groups, including
leadership in hospital, campus and prison chaplaincies. Women now play an
increasing part in the Liturgy as lectors and auxiliary ministers of Holy
Communion. Today they stand on a level of equality with men in exercising the
ministry of all baptized persons in the public forum.7
To solve the problem of Gender Issues, my opinion is that, even though
Women are not yet, if they will be, allowed to act as ministers, they should be
made to participate more in the other aspects where the Church needs them. And
our separated brethren who some have already welcomed the idea of Women’s
Ordination should be made to understand that unity is more beautiful when it is
diverse. And we should make effort to accept their own stand for themselves, and
respect their Women Ministers of their Own folds.

 Theological Issues
Some few documents, first of all the Declaration of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of Faith, “Dominus Jesu” have given rise to doubts about the ecumenical
commitment of the Catholic Church. Many people were disappointed, wounded
5
(Summa Theologiae,
Supplementum Tertiae Partis, Q. 39.1
6
Https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/statement-ordination-women
7
Ibid
and hurt by the tone and style of the document. Yet, the resulting irritations are no
reason for resignation. References to still existing and undeniable differences do
not mean the end of dialogue, although they do represent a challenge to dialogue.
In any case, that document does not represent any fundamental change in the
attitude of the Catholic Church.8 However Efforts are being made by the church to
resolve this. As Cardinal Casper stated, The decisive element of the Second
Vatican Council’s ecumenical approach is the fact that the Council no longer
identifies the Church of Jesus Christ simply with the Roman Catholic Church, as
had Pope Pius XII in the Encyclical “Mystici corporis” (1943). The Council
replaced “est” (the Catholic Church “is” Jesus Christ’s Church) with “subsisti”: the
Church of Jesus Christ subsists in the Catholic Church, which means that the
Church of Jesus Christ is made concretely real in the Catholic Church; in her she is
historically and concretely present and can be met. This does not exclude that also
outside the visible structure of the Catholic Church there are not only individual
Christians but also elements of the Church, and with them an “ecclesial reality”. “It
is not that beyond the boundaries of the Catholic community there is an ecclesial
vacuum”.9
2.3. Conclusion.
There are many other challenges to Ecumenism to be discussed, but for the sake
of brevity, we have to conclude at this point.
3.0. Works Cited
 Vatican II, Unitatis Redintegratio, 21 Nov, 1964.
 Summa Theologiea, Supplementum Tertiae Partis.
 Ecumenical Perspectives on the Ordination of Women by Sarah Hinlicky
Wilson, PDF.
 Prospects and Challenges for the Ecumenical Movement in the 21st Century;
Insights from the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute David Field /
Jutta Koslowski (Editors)
 Https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation
 Https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenism
 Https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-
affairs/statement-ordination-women

8
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/card-kasper-
docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20030227_ecumenical-theology_en.html
9
Ibid.
 Https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/card-
kasper-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20030227_ecumenical-theology_en.html