On the day of Pentecost 5 June 1960, Saint John XXIII created the then Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity with the Motu proprio Superno dei Nutu. The establishment of the Secretariat marked the first official step of the Catholic Church in the ecumenical movement.

As stated in the recent letter of the Holy Father to Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the anniversary will be marked by two initiatives. The first is the Ecumenical Vademecum for bishops, to be published in autumn, as an encouragement and guide for their ecumenical responsibilities. The second is the launch of the journal Acta Œcumenica, renewing the Dicastery’s bulletin Information Service/Service d’Information, which aims at providing a useful instrument to all those working in the service of unity.

For the occasion on Friday 5 June, Cardinal Koch will preside over a Mass of thanksgiving in the Chapel of Our Lady Mother of the Family situated in the Governorate of the Vatican.

Institute of Ecumenical Studies sends its best wishes to the employees and friends of the dicastery and wish them fruitful work in the field of the Christian unity.

Using the materials of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity's website.