The year 1962 has seen a remarkable step forward here in England in the recognition of ‘unity’ or ‘reunion’ work as ‘a particular charge and duty of the Church’; an ‘excellent work’, which ‘should daily assume a more significant place within the Church’s universal pastoral care’. In these words the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office on the Ecumenical Movement describes the place of Catholic Ecumenism in the Church’s apostolate. This important Papal document was published in December 1949. It was addressed to Local Ordinaries, the Bishops of the Church, and its first concern was to remind them that Bishops, whom the Holy Ghost has placed to rule the Church of God, ought to make this ‘reunion’ work a special object of their care and attention. They must not only use great diligence in keeping it under effective supervision, they must also give it prudent encouragement and direction, with the twofold purpose of assisting those who are in search of truth and the true Church, and of shielding the faithful from the dangers which so easily accompany the progress of this movement.

To implement this directive of the Holy See more effectively the hierarchy of England and Wales appointed from among their number, a year ago, a committee for Unity to represent them in the guidance and promotion of unity work. The President of this committee is Archbishop Heenan of Liverpool, and he and his fellow bishops who are members of it have lost no time in getting to work on their important task. It is this that is responsible for the considerable movement forward of Catholic Ecumenism in England which this year is witnessing. Several meetings have been organized, with the committee’s sanction, of Anglican and Catholic scholars, for the discussion of ecumenical questions at a deep theological level.