Unitatis Redintegratio – Catholic Church documents | Britannica.com
Unitatis Redintegratio, (Latin: “Restoration of Unity”) conciliar document promulgated on November 21, 1964, by Pope Paul VI during the second
Vatican Council. It was principally the work of Cardinal Augustin Bea, and it laid the groundwork for the Catholic Church’s dialogue
with the world of other Christian churches and with the world of non-Christian religions.
Unitatis Redintegratio reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s respect for other Christian churches and for non-Christian religions. It
recognized that the Catholic Church itself was not free from error and that all Christians were responsible for working together to
repair the scandal of Christian division. The document also promoted ecumenical dialogue as a means to unity and outlined the
conditions under which such dialogue could be conducted fruitfully.
The documentDecree on Ecumenism – Vatican II – Sacrosanctum Concilium – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy – Paul VI – Roman Catholicism
was a major step forward in the Catholic Church’s relations with other Christians and with the world of non-Christian religions. Its
impact was immediately evident in the increased number of ecumenical activities in which Catholics took part during the 1960s and
’70s. As a result of Unitatis Redintegratio and the other reforms of Vatican II, the Catholic Church became increasingly involved in
the work of Christian unity and in the effort to promote religious dialogue and understanding between Christians and followers of
other religions.