Published on 25 May 1995, Ut unum sint was the first ever and remains to the date the only papal encyclical entirely dedicated to ecumenism. Written thirty years after the Second Vatican Council, it was an important step on the way in the reception in the life of the Church of the principles and norms on ecumenism outlined in the conciliar decree Unitatis redintegratio. The article proposes a re-reading of the encyclical twenty-five years after its publication. It begins with an overview of the ecumenical engagement of John Paul II, for whom the search for Christian unity was one of the pastoral priorities of his pontificate. The article continues with a presentation of the ecumenical situation at the time of the publication of Ut unum sint marked by a growing skepticism towards ecumenism within denominations and a certain stagnation within the ecumenical movement. It then presents the vision of the Church and its unity which animates
the encyclical, namely the concept of communion (communio/koinonia). The article then presents some characteristics of the ecumenical situation today and delineates the important challenges such as lack of a common vision of the goal of the ecumenical movement and a shift in the ecumenical paradigm from full visible unity to mutual recognition. It concludes with arguing that explored anew in the ecumenical dialogue against the background of the current condition of world Christianity, Ut unum sint may be a source of inspiration for the search for a fresh vision for the ecumenical movement in the 21st century.

The author analyzes the work Chrétiens désunis. Principes d’un «œcumenisme» catholique by Yves Congar (1937) and shows why the French Dominican can be considered a precursor of ecumenism in the Roman Catholic Church. The argument is based on defining the nature of the reunification process, its starting point, the goal of the reunification, and the way in which the relationship between Catholicism and ecumenism is framed. In lieu of the then valid concept of conversion on the basis of the Catholic Church, or the simple absorption of individuals by the fully formed Church, the French theologian proposes a complement or integration into the unity of the Church. As a result of this process, the united Church would be no other body than the present Catholic Church but it would be richer and more complete.

In this article, the author outlines the problem of unity from the perspective of postmodern philosophy. Basically, unity of the human being is one of the most important problems of philosophy. Ancient philosophers identified human being as identical with citizenship. Man as a citizen of Athens was able to prove his citizenship of Athens by pointing to his ownership of family tombs and fireplace. Medieval philosophy continued the ancient idea but added one new aspect, hope. A medieval man was a citizen of
the empire, but at the same time he or she was a citizen of Kingdom of Heaven. He or she was a pilgrim who travelled to God. Modern philosophy develops unity in an absolutely different way of thinking. First,
what we have to know is that unity is a problem. Second, if we would like to solve this problem, it is absolutely necessary to use a new terminology. In this article I emphasize like to highlight the phenomenon of identity through an analysis that the Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman did in the past three decades. He divided a modern man into two categories. First, Bauman characterized a modern man as a global, very rich and well educated and can invest capital in all countries of the world. The second type is a local. He is
a type of modern man who is not necessarily poor, but who is bound to only one place where he resides. The problem of the locals is that they cannot freely travel and invest in their own capital. Locals live in one place, they have not enough power to influence local politics, economy, infrastructure, religions. Globals are able to influence the local community by means of politics, economy, social structures, and religion. Zygmunt Bauman describes the identity of modern man as a tension between locals and globals.

Care for Christian unity is part of the nature of the Church. Many years after the ecumenical movement began, signs of disappointment are appearing. The doctrinal dialogues and official meetings are still taking place, but spiritual and pastoral ecumenism is increasingly needed. It manifests itself not only in joint prayers but also in an actual exchange of spiritual gifts, pastoral inspirations and cooperation in many areas of the church and social life. New aspects of such ecumenism have appeared. They take the form of various spiritual trends going beyond the boundaries of churches and communities (prayers, music, spiritual gifts) as well as a search for sources and guidelines for spiritual life that other traditions can offer. In particular, the new shape of ecumenism may be seen in Evangelical and Pentecostal communities. Therefore, the broadly understood Catholic charismatic renewal has a special place in the work for Christian unity. People must walk together, accompany one another, be hospitable and work for the benefit of others. Only then can the Holy Spirit lead the followers of Christ to unity.

The presented sociological study emerges from the area of sociology of religion that would like to describe and explain religious reality. Its main goal is to present John Paul II’s encyclical Ut unum sint and its reception among Slovak youth. The study is divided into two parts. The introduction includes a short outline of the main reflections that appear in the encyclical Ut unum sint and some experiences connected with ecumenism in Slovakia — strongly dependent on specific people, priests or parishes. The first part presents the main tasks of Christian churches from the point of view of studied young people (e.g. charity, humanity, education or ecumenism). The second part sheds light on the possible differences between the chosen categories of the analyzed representatives of youth, particularly with regard to ecumenism. To that end independent variables were chosen: sex, place of residence, number of siblings, performance at school, attitude to religious faith, religious practices, and religious affiliation. The study is based in particular on the author’s own sociological research conducted at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century.

There are places where the ecumenical movement is born and grows out of the very essence of social and cultural reality. Cieszyn Silesia belongs to one of such places. Situated on the meeting point of various nationalities, cultures, and Churches, it constitutes a border region in a literal and symbolic sense. This region has become the home for the largest population of the Lutherans in Poland. The ecumenical movement which has been born and developed here is a necessary and inevitable consequence of such coexistence of Churches — the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran. Both Churches have become symbols of ecumenical life based on faith, tolerance, experience and respect. Nowadays all of these factors create a modern ecumenism. Ecumenism in Cieszyn Silesia has a very long and rich history. The phenomenon of Churches’ coexistence appeared almost five centuries ago. It means that the ecumenical
movement had existed here long before the Catholic Church promulgated the encyclical Ut unum sint. On the basis of the examples of the ecumenical relationships mentioned in the article, it can be said that the look of the “wise” today at its “yesterday” helps to build a better “tomorrow”. Therefore it can be said that on the basis of a well-lived present, firmly rooted in history, rises a favourable hope for the future of the Church.
Presenting the reception of John Paul’s II Ut unum sint among the multi-denominational population of Cieszyn Silesia one could quote Reverend Professor Wacław Hryniewicz, one of the most remarkable Polish ecumenists: “An authentic reception can be achieved only when the partners differ from each other because diversity enables the true relation of giving and taking.”

  Marek Marczewski: Leiturgia-Martyria-Diakonia. Koinonia, Lublin 2021, 311 pp. [review]

Review on the monography: Bishara Ebeid: La Tunica di al-Masīḥ. La Cristologia delle grandi confessioni cristiane dell´Oriente nel X e XI secolo. Roma: Pontificio Istituto Orientale – Edizioni Orientalia Christiana, Valore Italiano, 2019, 741 pp.

Review on the book of Michał Sadowski: The Trinitarian Analogies in the Christian Arab Apologetic Texts (750-1050). Series Syro-Arabica. Vol. 7. Cordoba: CNERU/ Beyrouth: CEDRAC, 2019, 307 pp.