Folia Theologica et Canonica 10. 32/24 (2021)
Sacra theologia
18 MIHÁLY K.RÁNITZ ever, this required priests, monks, and secular believers committed to unity who tore down the bastions of prejudice to realize the fraternal unity - by accepting the existing theological differences - that is already livable for Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox. Pierre Michalon was able to pursue the cause of Christian unity in Lyon entirely in the spirit of Paul Couturier and to arouse the desire for unity in many people in an extremely intense way through the programs of the Ecumenical Center. In October 1957, in the Feuillet sur la Priérepour l’Unité he testified: “My ecumenical vocation is realized in the details of my daily life, in the humility and simple love that leads me to the Lord and to others. Increasingly, I want to be a hidden servant, shaped solely by the intentions of Christ. It touched me that I had seen so many people committed to this prayer service and themselves in their full recommendation to God, for His Body, which is the Church. How much I want it to develop and my heart to reach the goal of this vocation! ”19 IV. A TURNING POINT IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH AND ECUMENISM In the meantime, there has been a change in the leadership of the Roman Church. From October 1958, after Pius XII, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli continued to lead the Roman Catholic Church under the name of John XXIII (1958-1963). The former apostolic nuncio to Paris had excellent relations with the Christian churches, so he also had a good view of the ecumenical aspirations manifested in the French church. The Centre Oecuménique in Lyon celebrated the election of John XXIII with a multitude of supporters of Christian unity, and already in November 1958 encouraged the week of prayer in January, on the last day of which Pope John XXIII proclaimed the II. Vatican Council (25 January 1959).20 John XXIII then makes it clear that one of the goals of the council will be to promote Christian unity.21 International events of ecumenism and prayer intentions, thus embracing the Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, also appeared on Feuillets spirituels. Prayer cells (cellules de priéres) from smaller groups are d’aprés les archives diocésaines, in Revue d’Histoire de l’Église de France, 106 (juilletdécembre 2020) 341-358. 19 Cf. Feuillet sur la Priére pour l’Unité, n. 4. (23 octobre 1957) 2. 20 Michalon in its prayer following the proclamation of the II. Vatican Council, it expresses its conviction that XXIII. John manifested himself on an ecumenical basis and in an ecumenical spirit. Even the date of his election is a first sign calling for prayer for unity. See Cf. Feuillet sur la Priére pour l’Unité, n. 9 (18 février 1959) 2. 21 Cf. Feuillet sur la Priére pour l’Unité, n. 8 (15 novembre 1958) 2.
