This series contains an account of the Roman Catholic bilateral conversations with Christian Churches in the United States from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. The Churches involved in the conversations include the American Baptist Convention, Anglican, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran, Methodist, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterian, and Southern Baptist. Some of the papers and official statements included in the collection are drafts and have revision notes and marginalia. Several contain anthologies that cover multiple years. There is a minimal amount of correspondence; a few letters detail the agreements and disagreements that occurred during the conversations. An example of this is contained in a copy of the letter between Athenagoras Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople to Reverend Iakovos Archbishop of North and South America, which details a plea for the correction of a misconception held by Orthodox Christians that due to ecumenical conversations they could now confess and receive communion from Roman Catholic priests. Intercommunion between the Orthodox and other churches did not exist at this time. A booklet about these initial attempts at ecumenism is also in the collection and documents the nullification of the anathema (excommunication) of 1054, which was necessary in order to begin bilateral conversation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. The arrangement of the material is alphabetical according to the Christian church the Catholics were in conversations with, then chronologically according to the date of each meeting.
This series is arranged alphabetically according to the Christian church the Catholics were in conversations with, then chronologically according to the date of each meeting.
Box 1 Folder 1
Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, List of Consultations, 1965 -- 1969
Box 1 Folder 2-8
RC-American Baptist Convention, 1967 -- 1972
First through Sixth meetings; "Report on Roman Catholic-American Baptist Dialogues," by Robert G. Middleton
Box 1 Folder 9-17
RC-Anglican, 1964 -- 1970
Anglican-Roman Relations, by Bernard C. Pawley; "Guidelines for Relations with the Roman Church", by The Committee for Relations with the Roman Catholic Church of The Joint Commission on Ecumenical Relations; Second through Eighth meetings
Box 2 Folder 1-7
RC-Anglican, 1971 -- 1974
Ninth through Fifteenth meetings
Box 2 Folder 8-13
RC-Disciples of Christ, 1967 -- 1970
Second through Sixth meetings; Mid-stream: Council on Christian Unity, Volume VII, Number 2
Box 3 Folder 1-5
RC-Disciples of Christ, 1971 -- 1974
Seventh through Tenth meetings; Mid-stream: Council on Christian Unity, Volume XII, Numbers 2-4
Box 3 Folder 6-13
RC-Lutheran, 1965 -- 1974
First through Tenth meetings
Box 4 Folder 1-8
RC-Methodist, 1966 -- 1975
Second through Sixth and unknown meetings
Box 4 Folder 9-12
RC-Orthodox, 1966 -- 1969
"…Be Reconciled to Your Brother" The Lifting of the Anathema of 1054 as a Step Toward Reconciliation; Second through Fourth meetings
Box 4 Folder 13-19
RC-Presbyterian-Reformed, 1965 -- 1967
Conversations with Roman Catholics on the Nature of the Church and Ecumenism; Third through Sixth meetings; Presbyterian Office of Information: News Bulletin, July 1965-November 1967
Box 5 Folder 1-10
RC-Presbyterian-Reformed, 1968 -- 1974
Seventh through Tenth and unknown meetings; 183rd General Assembly: Columbus, Ohio, May 1971; Ministry in the Church and Women in the Church
Box 5 Folder 11
RC-Southern Baptist: First Meeting: Daytona Beach, Florida, February 1971; Issues and Answers, 1971