Ecumenism... prohibited in traditional Church doctrines?

[justjeff]

This is an issue that has come up rather prominently in the St. Louis Archdiocese. They have been having ecumenical gatherings at various places of worship for other religions and with those of other faiths in Catholic churches... Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and some African religions whose names I can't recall.

An excerpt from the preamble issued by the SSPX before the unauthorized consecrations of bishops, they list their opposition to ecumenism:

Profession of Catholic Faith of the Society of Saint Pius X
to enlighten souls in the face of modern errors
https://fsspx.news/sites/default/files/documents/profession_of_catholic_faith_en.pdf

3. I consequently reject all errors contrary to this Faith, and in particular those of liberalism, indifferentism, modernism, ecumenism, and laicism, condemned by Popes Pius IX,⁶ Leo XIII,⁷ Saint Pius X,⁸ Pius XI,⁹ and Pius XII.¹⁰ These errors obscure revealed doctrine, falsify Tradition, disfigure the sacred liturgy, corrupt morals, weaken the missionary spirit, and disintegrate the Christian social order, gravely harming the salvation of souls.

I decided to see if I could find the Church teaching on ecumenism in those documents, so I looked up the documents from the footnotes:

• 6.) Encyclicals Qui pluribus (9 November 1846) and Quanta cura (8 December 1864) with the Syllabus.
• 7.) Encyclicals Immortale Dei (1 November 1885), Libertas (20 June 1888), Sapientiae christianae (10 January 1890), and Au milieu des sollicitudes (16 February 1892).
• 8.) Encyclical Pascendi (8 September 1907) and Decree Lamentabili (3 July 1907); Encyclical Vehementer nos (11 February 1906) and Apostolic Letter to the Bishops of France Notre charge apostolique (25 August 1910).
• 9.) Encyclicals Quas primas (11 December 1925) and Mortalium animos (6 January 1928).
• 10.) Encyclicals Orientales omnes ecclesias (23 December 1945) and Humani generis (12 August 1950); Allocution to Catholic Jurists (6 December 1953).

I did a search through each, but none of them had the word "ecumenism". I realize that there could be some variance because the English versions are undoubtedly all translations and another word or phrase with the same meaning may have been used, but I suspect that the modernists would have wanted to use a different word than something that had been officially condemned by the Church if they were trying to actually change Church doctrine, or sneak around it by a back door. I did also search Denzinger's Sources of Catholic Doctrine for "ecumenism" but it was not in there either.

[justjeff]

On a tangential note: reconciling with the Syllabus of Errors:

When I searched for "ecumen" in the Syllabus of Errors I came across the following passage that seems to me like it might give some ammo to those opposed to the SSPX:

The Syllabus Of Errors
Pope BI. Pius IX - 1864
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius09/p9syll.htm

23. Roman pontiffs and ecumenical councils have wandered outside the limits of their powers, have usurped the rights of princes, and have even erred in defining matters of faith and morals. — Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.

[Geremia]

"Ecumenism" doesn't seem to predate 1920:

[Geremia]

Mortalium animos (6 January 1928)

This encyclical by Pius XI is the standard encyclical contra ecumenism. §2 condemns Assisi-esque prayer gatherings:

2. [...] conventions, meetings and addresses are frequently arranged by these persons, at which a large number of listeners are present, and at which all without distinction are invited to join in the discussion, both infidels of every kind, and Christians, even those who have unhappily fallen away from Christ or who with obstinacy and pertinacity deny His divine nature and mission. Certainly such attempts can nowise be approved by Catholics, founded as they are on that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy, since they all in different ways manifest and signify that sense which is inborn in us all, and by which we are led to God and to the obedient acknowledgment of His rule. [...]

[justjeff]

"Ecumenism" doesn't seem to predate 1920:

Thank you. That would explain why "ecumenism' is not mentioned in magisterial documents before then or even shortly thereafter.

Ecumenism (also spelled oecumenism) is the movement promoting unity, cooperation, and mutual understanding among different Christian denominations and churches.  Derived from the Greek word oikoumene, meaning "the inhabited world," the term originally referred to the entire Christian church or the Roman Empire before evolving in the 20th century to describe interdenominational efforts to heal historical schisms.

Historical Evolution
The concept traces back to the early church's Ecumenical Councils (4th–7th centuries), which defined universal doctrine for the global church.  The modern ecumenical movement gained momentum following the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference, which united Protestant missionary forces, and was significantly advanced by the World Council of Churches (founded in 1948) and the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), which formally engaged the Roman Catholic Church in dialogue with other Christian traditions.

Core Goals and Examples
The primary objective is to achieve visible unity and full communion among Christians, rooted in Jesus' prayer "that they may all be one" (John 17:21).  Key initiatives include:

* Dialogue: Theological conversations between Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant leaders.

* Joint Worship: The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and shared service projects.

* Organizations: The World Council of Churches and local ecumenical councils that foster collaboration on social justice and missionary work.
 
AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.

It is rather ironic that ecumenism was instituted to heal schisms and promote unity, but is now at least a partial cause of what the Vatican has proclaimed as a new schism in the Church.

[Geremia]

Ecumenical means universal. An ecumenical council is a council of the entire Church, not just a particular region.