Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity

Part of a series on the
Roman Curia of the Holy See
Secretariat of State Section for Relations with States
Dicasteries Evangelization Doctrine of the Faith Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors International Theological Commission Pontifical Biblical Commission Service of Charity Eastern Churches Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments Causes of Saints Bishops Pontifical Commission for Latin America Clergy Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Laity, Family and Life Promoting Christian Unity Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews Interreligious Dialogue Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims Culture and Education Promoting Integral Human Development Legislative Texts Communication Vatican Press L'Osservatore Romano Press Office of the Holy See
Institutions of justice Apostolic Penitentiary Apostolic Signatura Roman Rota
Institutions of finance Council for the Economy Secretariat for the Economy Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See Office of the Auditor General Commission for Confidential Matters Committee for Investments
Offices Prefecture of the Papal Household Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church
Institutes Labour Office of the Apostolic See Vatican Apostolic Archives Vatican Apostolic Library Fabric of Saint Peter Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology Pontifical academies AVEPRO Supervisory and Financial Information Authority Domus Vaticanae
Interdicasterial commissions Particular Churches Church in Eastern Europe Consecrated Religious Candidates to Sacred Order Revision of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia
Commissions and committees International Eucharistic Congresses Historical Sciences Advocates Swiss Guards Disciplinary Financial Security Institute for Works of Religion Healthcare Sector Verification and Application of Mitis Iudex in the Churches of Italy
History Immensa Aeterni Dei Reform by Pius X Reform by Paul VI Reform by John Paul II Reform by Francis Roman Inquisition Former dicasteries Congregation of Bishops and Regulars Congregation for Borders Congregation of Ceremonies Sacred Congregation of the Index Congregation for Indulgences and Sacred Relics Congregation of the Vatican Press Sacred Congregation of the Consulta Sacred Congregation of Rites Apostolic Chancery Apostolic Dataria Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters Special Administration of the Holy See Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei Pontifical Council for Social Communications Pontifical Council for the Family Pontifical Council for the Laity Cor Unum Justice and Peace Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers Evangelization of Peoples Promoting the New Evangelization Catholic Education Culture Apostolic Camera
Related topics Pontifical commission Dicastery Acta Apostolicae Sedis Advocates of Roman congregations Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Catholicism portal
v t e

The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, previously named the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), is a dicastery within the Holy See whose origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962 to 1965.

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Pope John XXIII wanted the Catholic Church to engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement. He established a Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity (SPCU)^[1] on 5 June 1960 as one of the preparatory commissions for the council, and appointed Cardinal Augustin Bea as its first president. The secretariat invited other churches and world communions to send observers to the council.

The Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity prepared and presented a number of documents to the council:

• Ecumenism (Unitatis redintegratio);
• Non-Christian religions (Nostra aetate);
• Religious liberty (Dignitatis humanae);
• With the doctrinal commission, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei verbum).

Following the council, in 1966 Pope Paul VI confirmed the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity as a permanent dicastery of the Holy See.

In the apostolic constitution Pastor bonus (28 June 1988), Pope John Paul II renamed the secretariat the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The PCPCU has two sections dealing with:

• The Eastern Churches - The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches as well as the Assyrian Church of the East;
• The Western Churches and Ecclesial Communities and the World Council of Churches.

The dicastery has a twofold role:

• The promotion within the Catholic Church of an authentic ecumenical spirit according to the conciliar decree Unitatis redintegratio;
• To develop dialogue and collaboration with the other churches and world communions.

Since its creation, it has also established a cordial cooperation with the World Council of Churches (WCC). Twelve Catholic theologians have been members of the WCC's Faith and Order Commission since 1968.

The PCPCU is responsible for naming Catholic observers at various ecumenical gatherings and in its turn invites observers or "fraternal delegates" of other churches or ecclesial communities to major events of the Catholic Church.

At present, the PCPCU is engaged in an international theological dialogue with each of the following churches and world communions:

• The Assyrian Church of the East^[2]
• The Eastern Orthodox Church;
• The Oriental Orthodox churches;
• The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church;
• The Anglican Communion;
• The International Lutheran Council;^[3][4][5]
• The Lutheran World Federation;
• The World Alliance of Reformed Churches;
• The World Methodist Council;
• The Baptist World Alliance;
• The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ);
• The World Evangelical Alliance;
• Some^[which?] Pentecostal groups.

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Directed by a Cardinal President, assisted by a Secretary, a Joint Secretary, and an Under-Secretary.

Current leadership

• President: Kurt Koch, 2010–
• Secretary: Flavio Pace, 2024–
• Under-Secretary: Andrea Palmieri

Presidents

• Augustin Bea (6 June 1960 – 16 November 1968)
• Johannes Willebrands (12 April 1969 – 12 December 1989)
• Edward Cassidy (12 December 1989 – 3 March 2001)
• Walter Kasper (3 March 2001 – 1 July 2010)
• Kurt Koch (1 July 2010 – present)

Secretaries

• Johannes Willebrands (28 June 1960 – 12 April 1969)
• Jean Jérôme Hamer (12 April 1969 – 14 June 1973)
• Pierre Duprey [de], M. Afr. (25 April 1983 – 16 March 1999)
• Jean-Claude Périsset (16 November 1996 to 12 November 1998)
• Walter Kasper (16 March 1999 – 3 March 2001)
• Marc Ouellet (3 March 2001 – 15 November 2002)
• Brian Farrell, L.C. (19 December 2002– 23 February 2024)^[6]
• Flavio Pace (23 February 2024 – present)^[7]

The council is responsible for working with other churches on ecumenical translations of scripture, and promoted the establishment of the Catholic Biblical Federation.^{[citation needed]}

The Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews is the responsibility of the PCPCU, while the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with Muslims comes under the direction of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. This is because when the council was being created the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews was consulted as to whether it wished to come under the Inter-Religious Dialogue Council, it declined and thus remains part of the Promoting Christian Unity Council.^{[citation needed]}

• Guidelines for Interconfessional Cooperation in Translating the Bible (1987)^[8]
• Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (25 Mar 1993)^[9]
• The Greek and Latin Traditions Regarding the Procession of the Holy Spirit (1996)^[10]
• The Ecumenical Dimension in the Formation of those Engaged in Pastoral Work (1997)^[11]
• The Bishop and Christian Unity: An Ecumenical Vademecum (2020)^[12]
• Ecumenism in a Time of Pandemic: From Crisis to Opportunity (A Working Paper) (2022)^[13]
• The Bishop of Rome. Primacy and synodality in ecumenical dialogues and responses to the encyclical Ut unum sint (13 Jun 2024)^[14]

• Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church
• Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches

• official website
• The Bishop of Rome. Primacy and synodality in ecumenical dialogues and responses to the encyclical Ut unum sint
• The Holy See: The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
• GCatholic.org: Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity