Ecumenism: The Communion of Diverse Churches: A Conversation with Catherine Clifford

What Matters Most

On this episode of what matters most I speak with Dr. Catherine E. Clifford, a Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She holds a PhD in Theology from the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, and an STL from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Her teaching, research, and publications are in the areas of ecclesiology, ecumenism, and the history of the Second Vatican Council with a particular emphasis on understanding the conversion and renewal of the churches, the development of doctrine, and the unity and diversity of Christian communities.

We spent a lot of time in this episode talking about ecumenism, the process by which the variety of Christian churches speak to each other and try to move to greater unity. We also talked about the fact that unity is not uniformity and the great diversity even within the Catholic church. Dr. Clifford is presently a member of the Methodist Roman Catholic International Commission, one of the many official groups working on ecumenism.

Finally, we discussed synodality and her paper for the upcoming Pope Francis conference at St. Mark’s College on Pope Francis and the Future of the Church: Prospects and Challenges for Renewal May 4-6, 2023. Her paper is titled, “Leaning into the Distant Goal of Vatican II: Pope Francis and Christian Unity.”

Cathy describes her paper in this way: "Catholics would not be embarking on the path towards a more synodal church today were it not for sixty years of sustained ecumenical dialogue with other Christians who have helped us to rediscover how such practices are “constitutive” of the church. Learning to embrace the synodal way in the life and practice of the Catholic Church will have profound consequences for the realization of Vatican II’s distant goal of Christian unity and for the future shape of Christianity. Francis models a practice of leaning into reconciliation, walking together with fellow Christians in common witness as we grow together in unity."

All three plenary addresses at the Pope Francis conference are free and open to the public. You can find tickets at Eventbrite by clicking on the link above or here: Pope Francis and the Future of the Church: Prospects and Challenges for Renewal, but I would suggest signing up soon to hear Dr. Massimo Faggioli, Dr. Emilce Cuda, and Dr. Cathy Clifford. Tickets are free but limited. If you want to attend the concurrent sessions, you can attend either day of the conference for $20.00 or the whole conference for $40.00.

Finally, Cathy's publications include the newly released The Oxford Handbook on Vatican II (2023), co-edited with Massimo Faggioli, Keys to the Council (2012), co-authored with Richard R. Gaillardetz, and Decoding Vatican II: Interpretation and Ongoing Reception (2014).