These short articles, published every Sunday, entitled WORDS FROM THE PARISH PRIEST, are a small space that the priest in charge of this parish directs to the community so they can learn and become familiar with some of the realities of the Church’s faith. Unfortunately, people today don’t read; it’s a worldwide phenomenon. In any case, as Saint Paul says, we must preach in season and out of season. Today’s topic is very complicated because it has become entangled, tangled. ECUMENISM. What is that? It is the dialogue that the Catholic Church has with other “churches” or Christian groups that at some point in history separated from the one and true Church (because there was no other), the Catholic Church, so that through fraternal dialogue they may rejoin the Church that Christ founded. What is the entanglement or complication of this topic? Today, even very important bishops say that ecumenism is dialogue with all groups, churches, and all those who are not Catholic. And that for the sake of unity and worldwide brotherhood, we must welcome everyone, without trying to evangelize or bring Christ to anyone, because according to some, that is proselytism and that should not be done. This is a huge mistake. Two compelling reasons to reject this way of understanding ecumenism: 1. The Second Vatican Council gives us the definition of ecumenism. And it has nothing to do with what is taught today. 2. It throws Jesus’ command, Matthew 28:18-20, into the trash when it is stated that there should be no proselytism in ecumenism. Happy Sunday.
