Ecumenism: The Counter Church's Attack on No Salvation Outside the Church

The original groups behind the ecumenical movement were certain sects of the Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and the Old Catholic Church (schismatic heretical group that defected after the 1870 Vatican Council). This began in the early 1900s and was immediately condemned by the Catholic Church which wanted no part of it.

The idea behind the movement was Our Lord's prayer in John 17 for His followers to be one, which became the slogan of the movement: "That They May Be One!" This assumes that Our Lord's Church is not already perfectly One, which denies one of her four marks: One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic. It also assumes that heretics and schismatics belong to the Church (even though they hold to false teachings), and that we must work towards to unity to fulfill Jesus' prayer.

The ecumenists sought to create a World Council of Churches, which they accomplished in the mid 20th century. The goal was to foster "dialogue," to "learn from one another," in order to strengthen ties where the groups had agreement. Those ties would then be utilized to accomplish "unity," so that their definition of the "One Church" would be fulfilled through mutual agreement on selective doctrines and compromise on others. This would be the foundation for indifferentism, relativism, and an affront to the Catholic Church's dogma of No Salvation Outside the Church.

The Holy Pontiffs of this era strongly condemned the ecumenism movement, since it led to syncretism, compromise, and indifferentism. Rather than "dialogue," the course of action needed has always been the same. The monologue of repentance and conversion to the One Church founded by Jesus, outside of which there is no salvation.

Pope Leo XIII: "Every familiarity should be avoided, not only with those impious libertines who openly promote the character of the Masonic sect, but also with those who hide under the mask of universal tolerance, respect for all religions, and the craving to reconcile the maxims of the Gospel with those of the revolution. These men seek to reconcile Christ and Belial."

Pope St. Pius X: "What are we to think of this respect for all errors... What are we think of an association in which all religions and even Free-Thought may express themselves openly and in complete freedom?.. Nor do they intended to prevent a Protestant from asserting his Protestantism, and the skeptic from affirming his skepticism."

Pope Pius XI: "For they are of the opinion that the unity of faith and government, which is a note of the one true Church of Christ, has hardly up to the present time existed, and does not today exist. They consider that this unity may indeed be desired and that it may even be one day attained through the instrumentality of wills... They add that the Church in itself, or of its nature, is divided into sections; that is to say, that it is made up of several churches or distinct communities, which still remain separate, and although having certain articles of doctrine in common, nevertheless disagree concerning the remainder; that these all enjoy the same rights... It is clear why this Apostolic See has never allowed its subjects to take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics: for the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it."

The revolutionaries of the Counter Church succeeded in getting their ideas into the documents of Vatican II, in which the hierarchy formally threw their hat into the ecumenism movement. The Council addressed Protestant heretics as Christians and emphasized the importance of dialogue in order to end division among "Christians." John Paul II would go on to write an entire encyclical dedicated to this entitled Ut Unum Sint: "That They May Be One."

Cardinal Ratzinger (future Benedict XVI) wrote in the 1993 Directory for Ecumenism, "The search for Christian Unity was one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council... Prayer in common is recommended for Catholics and other Christians."

Francis has continued leading others down this wide path that leads to damnation. He has said, "It is not licit to convince them of your faith; proselytism is the strongest poison against the ecumenical path." He has also said efforts at converting others is a "grave sin against ecumenism." Ever since Vatican II and John Paul II, the buzz word has become "Dialogue." And now seeking to help others convert is considered a grave sin. The Counter Church in practice rejects the mark of Oneness as well as the dogma No Salvation Outside the Church.

"Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." (Lk 10:16)

"No one shall pray in common with heretics and schismatics." (Council of Laodicea, 365 AD)

"None must either pray or sing psalms with heretics; and whomsoever shall communicate with those who are cut off from the Communion of the Church, whether clergymen or laic, let him be excommunicated." (Council of Carthage, 398 AD)

Pius XI: “Such efforts can meet with no kind of approval among Catholics. They presuppose the erroneous view that all religions are more or less good and praiseworthy (this is the error of indifferentism), inasmuch as all give expression, under various forms, to that innate sense which leads men to God and to the obedient acknowledgment of His rule. Those who hold such a view are not only in error; they distort the true idea of religion, and thus reject it, falling gradually into naturalism and atheism. To favor this opinion, and to encourage such undertakings is tantamount to abandoning the religion revealed by God.”

Contrasted to John Paul II: “Thus it is absolutely clear that ecumenism, the movement promoting Christian unity, is not just some sort of 'appendix' which is added to the Church’s traditional activity. Rather, ecumenism is an organic part of her life and work, and consequently must pervade all that she is and does.”

Pray for the repentance and conversion of Francis and all compromised hierarchy.