Description
The Council exercises a double role. First of all, it is entrusted with the promotion, within the Catholic Church, of an authentic ecumenical spirit according to the conciliar decree Unitatis redintegratio; it was for this purpose that an Ecumenical Directory was published in 1967-1970 and a revised edition issued in 1993 entitled “Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism”. The Council carries out this task in liaison with the various departments of the Roman Curia, whose competence includes areas that can contribute similarly to the task of dialogue of the Catholic Church and should be put to the service of its relationships with all the Churches and ecclesial Communities.
At the same time, the Pontifical Council also aims to develop dialogue and collaboration with the other Churches and World Communions.