A carefully prepared booklet entitled Recommendations For Diocesan Commissions For Ecumenical Affairs has now been published by the Bishops’ Commission For Ecumenical Affairs.

In its introduction, the booklet says of ecumenical commissions: “They can provide competent directives and guidelines for stimulating local effort, acting at the same time as a channel and source of broad background information for the overall work of the Church in an age that has become ecumenical.” The primary purpose of an ecumenical commission is to implement the Decree on Ecumenism of Vatican Council II. The first chapter of the recommendations encourages commissions to “draft for the approval of the bishop its own set of objectives.” Numerous suggestions as to what these objectives could be are given.

How a commission can be formed is asked in the second chapter. Who should be members, what by way of committees should be included, and what specific activities could accompany the establishment of the commission, are among the matters here discussed.

A chapter of “General Principles For Ecumenical Action” is followed by a chapter of “Practical Guidelines”. This latter chapter includes those six well-known suggestions for ecumenical activity given by Dr. Robert McAfee Brown of Stanford University. These points state: * “Each partner in the dialogue must believe the other is speaking in good faith.” * “Each partner must have a clear understanding of his own faith.” * “Each partner must strive for a clear understanding of the faith of the other.” * “Each partner must accept responsibility in humility and penitence for what his denomination has done, and is doing to perpetuate division.” * “Each partner must recognize that all that can be done with the dialogue is to offer it up to God.” The degree to which these points correspond with the Decree on Ecumenism is also indicated.

“Program Possibilities Relating to Ecumenism” are discussed as they could apply to these groups: theologians and other professionally competent persons; pastors, priests and suitably prepared lay people; for the whole community; for the Catholic diocese; for colleges and seminaries; and for Catholic hospitals. The many suggestions here include such ideas as the establishment of an ecumenical center for the city, state, or diocese, either as a Roman Catholic effort as jointly sponsored with other denominations; and the suggestion that there could be guest articles and editorials by representative members of other denominations in the diocesan press.

In the future the Bishops’ Commission plans to expand these recommendations with useful supplements. Present plans call for a short history of ecumenism, guidelines for the mass media, forms of address for bishops and clergy, and a detailed bibliography.

The Bishops’ Commission is located at the National Catholic Welfare Conference.