Mortalium animos

Mortalium animos is an encyclical of Pope Pius XI, it is dated January 6, 1928 and is subtitled. " On the promotion of the true unity of religion." This encyclical is to contribute to the unity of Christians and warn against an equality of all Christian denominations. It is thus a testimony to the uncompromising return ecumenism, which had been represented in the Roman Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council.

On the promotion of the true unit

This apostolic letter denounces Pius XI. indifference in matters of faith and relativism. It notes the Pope, that the majority of ecumenical institutions do not correspond to the truth and unity of religion. He also expresses and underlines this explicitly that there is no hierarchy in the church teaching, as it may be in the hierarchy of values, but the dogmas of faith have the aspects of the faith, for all religious areas, to express. He describes in this encyclical that all the Fathers of the Church considered the Catholic Church as the one and only as the unique church. Pius XI. wished, although the union of all Christians, but in the sense of the Apostle Peter, as it is described in the Gospel, must be conducted.

About the true unity of religions

It goes through the human longing for mutual Christian and religious association, the Pope writes, explaining that this longing for unity finds expression in the modern " religious meetings ", but they are not cheap. Despicable are also prepared by the representatives of a vague, "general" Christianity attempts made an agreement, " all who call themselves Christians." Catholics must be warned of these efforts " panchristlichen " because there is only one true religion, namely the revealed, and only one true Church, which founded by Christ. It is a mistake, he says, to assume that there is no single Church of Christ would be today, but only different special Christian churches would band together as equal sizes to a covenant, without direct line of the Pope.

The true Church

The Roman Catholic Church is the one true Church of Christ, declared Pius XI. , It is ordered by God guardian of revealed truth, which can not be pulled down to the bottom of the discussions. Love alone can not bring together the separated Christians, if not the genuine faith the bond of unity is: the Catholic faith without limitations and compromises. The Return of the isolated, the promotion of the true unity of religion, is the heart's desire of the Pope and the communities should make this request to the object of prayer.