Centralism or Communio of Churches? An Actual Question in the Context of the Encyclical Ut unum sint (1995)

Abstract

The Roman Catholic Church remains under particularly strong scrutiny—within the framework of a Communio ecclesiology and in light of developments in post-conciliar theology and ecumenical discussions—especially concerning the question of the universal primatial claim of the Bishop of Rome. More than fifty years after the Council, however, it must be acknowledged that a truly communal practice within the Church has still not been fully realized. New perspectives for ecumenism as well as for the shaping of the Roman primacy were opened by John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical Ut unum sint. Yet if these perspectives are not to be entirely lost, the Catholic Church must continue moving forward—following the efforts of Pope Francis—along the path of a “healthy decentralization.”