The Ecumenical Movement:
Did Pope Pius XII Condone Ecumenism?

by Rev. Fr. Johannes Heyne

* Originally published in The Reign of Mary, Issue No. 150, Spring 2013

Not too long ago somebody gave me an article about Pope Pius XII. The author held the opinion that Pius XII was a modernist Pope. One of his many arguments was that Pius XII was already fostering and acknowledging the Ecumenical Movement. I would like to examine this point more closely in the following article. It would be particularly interesting to see what Pius XII says about Ecumenism, because as we know, false Ecumenism is one of the teachings that is more significant in the texts of Vatican II and one in which it deviated from Catholic teaching.

In order to show Pius XII’s position, I will refer to the text that the author of the above-mentioned article was using. It is the instruction De Motione ‘Oecumenica,’ promulgated by the Holy Office on December 20, 1949, under Pope Pius XII. Before we start, let us briefly clarify what the Ecumenical Movement actually is. This movement was originally founded by Protestants around the beginning of the 20th century in order to create unity among the different Protestant denominations. When later there was more and more participation from Catholics, the goal became more one of unity among all Christians. Accordingly, we read in the introduction of the decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio, from the Second Vatican Council: “To promote the reestablishment of the unity among all Christians is one of the main undertakings of the Holy Ecumenical Second Vatican Synod.”

Now let us look at De Motione ‘Oecumenica.’ At the beginning, the Holy Office makes clear that the Catholic Church in general supports all efforts to create unity among Christians:

“The Catholic Church, although she does not take part in congresses and other conventions called ‘ecumenical’, yet has never ceased, as is clear from many Pontifical documents, nor will she in future ever cease to follow with the most intense interest and to promote by earnest prayers to God all efforts toward the attainment of what is so dear to the Heart of Christ Our Lord, namely, that all who believe in Him ‘may be made perfect in one.’”

Then it acknowledges that the attempts that had been made thus far to unite the non-Catholic Christians with the Catholic Church were done with a good intention, but it also points out that experience has shown there are special dangers to be avoided. Therefore, the Holy Office calls to mind some points that have to be considered when dealing with the Ecumenical Movement. For example, it will be the duty of the bishops, who are entrusted by God to govern and to guide the Church, to foster the movement, but also to guide it and to oversee it. Especially they have to “be on guard lest, on the false pretext that more attention should be paid to the points on which we agree than to those on which we differ, a dangerous indifferentism be encouraged….” This comment is especially interesting, because it refers exactly to what Ecumenism today mostly is: a consideration of the similarities with other Christian denominations or even with other religions, while differences are left aside as not so important, in order to create a common ground where all religions can meet.

It is impossible, however, to differentiate between more important and less important teachings. There are topics on which the Church has not (yet) pronounced a definitive declaration — we call these theological opinions. And since the Church has not finalized those questions we are not obliged to accept them. But if something is part of the teaching of the Church — that is, if it is defined dogma — then we cannot differentiate between more important and less important. Either one accepts the Faith or he doesn’t.

The problem is: If one makes this distinction, there is not a big step to saying that the different denominations and religions are but different expressions of one same Faith and, therefore, ending up in indifferentism. Unfortunately, we find this thinking in a large part of western civilization today. How clearly Pius XII saw back then, when he warned of that danger!

Next the Holy Office refers to ecumenical meetings:

“With regard especially to mixed assemblies and conferences of Catholics with non-Catholics, which in recent times have begun to be held in many places to promote ‘union’ in the faith, there is need of quite peculiar vigilance and control on the part of Ordinaries. For if on the one hand these meetings afford the desired opportunity to spread among non-Catholics the knowledge of Catholic doctrine, which is generally not sufficiently known to them, yet on the other hand they easily involve no slight danger of indifferentism for Catholics. In cases where there seems to be some hope of good results, the Ordinary shall take some measures for a well-regulated supervision, designating for these meetings priests who are as well qualified as possible to explain and defend Catholic doctrine properly and appropriately. The faithful, however, should not attend these meetings unless they have obtained special permission from ecclesiastical authority, and this shall be given only to those who are known to be well instructed and strong in their faith. Where there is no apparent hope of good results, or where the affair involves special dangers on other grounds, the faithful are to be prudently kept away from the meetings, and the meetings themselves are soon to be ended or gradually suppressed. As experience teaches that larger meetings of this sort usually bear little fruit and involve greater danger, these should be permitted only after very careful consideration.

“To colloquies between Catholic and non-Catholic theologians, none should be sent but priests who have shown themselves truly fit for such work by their knowledge of theology and their firm adherence to the principles and norms which the Church has laid down in this matter.”

The Holy Office seems to see a certain chance that meetings of Catholics and non-Catholics might serve to spread the knowledge of the Catholic teaching among non-Catholics. Many, if not most, of the non-Catholics know the Catholic Faith only partially, or the idea they have of it is misrepresented by prejudices which are warmed up by the media again and again today and very often are accepted by the audience uncritically. Meetings might then be an occasion to explain the Catholic Faith and tear down those prejudices. Directly or indirectly also, questions that non-Catholics might have could be answered. Therefore, the Holy Office does not entirely forbid those meetings. But there has to be hope of good success. And even in this case, certain precautions have to be met which are supposed to guard against the danger of indifferentism, which the Holy Office sees very clearly. These precautions are that the meetings have to be overseen by the Ordinary and that educated priests have to be appointed who are able to present and defend the Catholic Faith well. Lay people need a special permission in order to partake at all, and also in their case they have to be well-educated in the Faith. Larger meetings require a special previous examination because, as experience proves, they usually “bear little fruit and involve greater danger.”

Pope Pius XII had to face a difficult problem. On the one hand he recognized the positive energy which (at least in his eyes) was present in the Catholic population and wanted to express itself in efforts to open to non-Catholics the road to conversion. (History has demonstrated that there were abundant conversions in the 1940’s and 1950’s.) He didn’t want to simply suppress this energy through a general prohibition of meetings with non-Catholics. But, on the other hand, he saw very clearly the dangers that are usually involved in those meetings. If we consider this, what the Holy Office says in De Motione ‘Oecumenica’ appears to be prudent.

One objection raised is that that Pius XII’s document may seem to differ with what his predecessor Pius XI said in Mortalium Animos forbidding participation of Catholics at non-Catholic meetings in general: “This being so, it is clear that the Apostolic See cannot on any terms take part in their assemblies, nor is it in any way lawful for Catholics either to support or to work for such enterprises; for if they do so they will be giving countenance to a false Christianity, quite alien to the one Church of Christ. Shall We suffer, what would indeed be iniquitous, the truth, and a truth divinely revealed, to be made a subject to compromise?”

In this context it is important to point out that the Code of Canon Law from 1917 in canon 1325 § 3 states the following: “Catholics are to avoid disputations or conferences about matters of faith with non-Catholics, especially in public, without the permission of the Holy See, or in case of emergency of the Ordinary of the place.” So even if canon law in general forbids the participation of Catholics at meetings like this, it still seems to see cases, where — although only with the permission of the Holy See or the Ordinary — such a participation would be possible.

Therefore Pope Pius XII with the words of the document we are examining is still within the boundaries of canon law. But how is it that there seems to be a contradiction to what Pope Pius XI had said? Let us have a look at what else Pius XI says in Mortalium Animos:

“A similar object is aimed at by some, in those matters which concern the New Law promulgated by Christ our Lord. For since they hold it for certain that men destitute of all religious sense are very rarely to be found, they seem to have founded on that belief a hope that the nations, although they differ among themselves in certain religious matters, will without much difficulty come to agree as brethren in professing certain doctrines, which form as it were a common basis of the spiritual life. For which reason conventions, meetings and addresses are frequently arranged by these persons, at which a large number of listeners are present, and at which all without distinction are invited to join in the discussion, both infidels of every kind, and Christians, even those who have unhappily fallen away from Christ or who with obstinacy and pertinacity deny His divine nature and mission. Certainly such attempts can nowise be approved by Catholics, founded as they are on that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy.”

As we can see, Pius XI has in mind conferences that have as a basis the “hope that the nations, although they differ among themselves in certain religious matters, will without much difficulty come to agree as brethren in professing certain doctrines, which form as it were a common basis of the spiritual life” — in other words, conferences that aim at finding a “religion” that consists of what all religions have in common.

But as we mentioned above, this is exactly what Pius XII is against. What he has in mind when talking about those meetings with non-Catholics is something completely different from what Pius XI is talking about. He is permitting the conferences only in front of the background that they might be an opportunity to present the Catholic faith and to lead non-Catholics to it. If that hope is not given, then such meetings also do not make sense to Pope Pius XII. He says that then “the meetings themselves are soon to be ended or gradually suppressed.” So under the circumstances that Pius XI has in mind, Pius XII also forbids those conferences.

Can we, after these considerations, say that Pope Pius XII acknowledged the Ecumenical Movement? Rather not. It is true he didn’t exclude the possibility of meetings of Catholics and non-Catholics in general. But as we have seen, the Code of Canon Law doesn’t do that. Apart from that, as we have said, he permitted those conferences only because they could be an occasion to show the true faith and by this, an occasion to win people who are in error to the truth, and not because he wanted to find a common ground among the different denominations and religions which could be the basis for common religious activities. He also very clearly saw the danger that those conferences involve and tries to prevent them by putting up clear and restrictive conditions and guidelines that also involve suppression of those meetings in case there is no hope for success or if the danger is greater than any possible success. The Ecumenical Movement as a means of finding a common ground for a shared “faith” of all religions, Pope Pius XII clearly rejected, and he also made it clear that religious unity can be found only in the one truth.

Finally, we must point out that what is going on today in the name of ecumenism is far from anything envisioned by Pope Pius XII or any of his predecessors. Today in the Conciliar Church there are meetings of various religious ministers, who all pray jointly for a common goal, such as that of world peace. (We saw this particularly in the three interfaith meetings in Assisi under John Paul II and Benedict XVI.) The permission for Catholics, under certain conditions, to attend conferences where non-Catholics are present, does not even remotely compare with this egregious violation of the First Commandment of God. The Catholic Church has always forbidden such meetings, as we see in Canon Law (Canon 1258). But such interfaith prayer sessions are of regular occurrence in the Conciliar Church, and they were approved and promoted by Vatican Council II. The Holy Office of the Catholic Church, however, never gave approval for such meetings, whether under Pope Pius XII or any other true pope.

Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzil, Bd. 1, Die Dokumente des Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzils, hrsg. von Peter Hünermann, Herder Verlag, 2009 (Herder’s theological commentary of the Second Vatican Council, Vol. 1, The documents of the Second Vatican Council, ed. by Peter Hünermann, Herder, 2009)

The quotes of this document are taken from:

Anton Rohrbasser: Heilslehre der Kirche, 1953
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19280106_mortalium-animos_en.html