Holy Office Condemns Ecumenical Gatherings in 1865

Editorial Note:
On July 8, 1927, the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office issued a response to a dubium as to whether it be permissible for Catholics to be present at or to approve of gatherings of non-Catholics that seek to procure the unity of all Christians.a The Holy Office responded, “In the negative”, and declared that the decree issued by the same Congregation on July 4, 1919, prohibiting the participation of Catholics in the “Society for the Union of Christendom”, was “absolutely to be observed”.b This 1919 decree, in turn, reiterated the binding force of two instructions promulgated by the Holy Office under Pope Pius IX, one on September 16, 1864, the other on November 8, 1865. The second of these instructions, Ad Quosdam Puseistas Anglicos, is reproduced below. It appears that this is the first time this important text, eminently rich in doctrinal content, has been made available in English.


http://www.novusordowatch.org/aas-08nov1865.pdf

There was another pope the Protestants tried to get on board, but I can't remember which one right now. He denied them and stated that there can only be unity if they came back to the Church. Most Catholics don't even know ecumenism started in the Protestant churches. I know I didn't know that until recently.

Irenics has been going on from the beginning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenism

But if you mean ecumenia, that seems to have started primarily after the First World War with the founding of the World Council of Churches.

A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
by Bishop John (Kallos) of Amorion

During the past decade a great deal of interest has been generated by both clergy and laity in the Ecumenical Movement. This world-wide Christian Movement has found its expression within the structural framework of the World Council of Churches. Consequently, the whole Christian world watches very closely all the deliberations, actions and statements of the W.C.C.
At the outset, it is only fair to say that the Ecumenical Movement is not a fantasy, but rather it is an actuality. It is not an abstract idea, but rather it is a living and dynamic reality. The Ecumenical Movement has a dual purpose: the solution of the moral and social problems which confront mankind today and the unity of divided Christiandom.
The Orthodox Church is one of the founders of the W.C.C. as is evidenced by the Synodical Encyclical of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Churches of Christ throughout the world in 1920. This encyclical suggested in precise language many ways leading to an improvement of relations between Christian Churches some of which are as follows: 1) by the acceptance of all the great Christian feasts on the same day by all the Churches, 2) by the exchange of brotherly letters on the great feasts of the ecclesiastical year, when it is customary to do so and on other exceptional occasions, 3) by a more friendly intercourse by the representatives of theological science, 4) by the exchange of students between seminaries of the different Churches, 5) by the convening of Pan-Christian conferences to examine questions of a common interest to all the Churches, 6) by the impartial and historic examination of the doctrinal differences, 7) by mutually respecting the custom and usages prevailing in each church, by allowing to each other the use of places of prayer and of cemeteries for the funeral and burial of persons belonging to other confessions dying in foreign lands, 9) by the settlement of the question of mixed marriages between the various confessions, 10) by the mutual support of the Churches in the work of strengthening religious beliefs, love and the like.
In its embryonic stage, the Ecumenical Movement was nurtured within the framework of the Commission on Life and Work and the Commission of Faith and Order. The former Commission was concerned with the practical sphere of Christianity and the cooperation between Christian Churches in the application of Christian principles to the ethical and social problems of modern man. The latter Commission was concerned with the matters of faith and sought the discovery of agreement and appreciation of differences.
As the years passed, it became all the more apparent that these Commissions on Life and Work

http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/ecumenical/john_thermon_history_ecumenism.htm

I was thinking of Cardinal Bea.

Cardinal Bea went around Europe promoting ecumenism. John XIII gave him a special position answerable only to John XIII.

I think it’s important to distinguish between ecumenism and false ecumenism.

Originally Posted by Bishop Sheen:
"The Catholic Church intolerant." That simple thought, like a yellow-fever sign, is supposed to be the one solid reason which should frighten away any one who might be contemplating knocking at the portals of the Church for entrance, or for a crumb of the Bread of Life. When proof for this statement is asked, it is retorted that the Church is intolerant because of its self-complacency and smug satisfaction as the unique interpreter of the thoughts of Christ. Its narrow-mindedness is supposed to be revealed in its unwillingness to cooperate effectively with other Christian bodies that are working for the union of churches. Within the last ten years, two great world conferences on religion have been held, in which every great religion except the Catholic participated. The Catholic Church was invited to attend and discuss the two important subjects of doctrine and ministry, but she refused the invitation.

"That is not all. Even in our own country she has refused to lend a helping hand in the federating of those churches which decided it was better to throw dogmatic differences into the background, in order to serve better the religious needs of America. The other churches would give her a royal welcome, but she will not come. She will not cooperate! She will not conform! And she will not conform because she is too narrow-minded and intolerant! ...

Such is, practically every one will admit, a fair statement of the attitude the modern world bears to the Church. The charge of intolerance is not new. It was once directed against Our Blessed Lord Himself….

http://wasthepoperight.blogspot.com/2007/12/curse-of-broadmindedness.html

This excerpt was taken from a post on Catholic Answers.

Yep, the Church is the custodian of something which if compromised is lost. That something is the Truth. That's why the Truth always appears intolerant to those who don't possess it.

People have a wrong idea of what tolerance means to begin with. It's another one of those words that the communists use to push their ideas.