Louis Schweitzer

This article offers a personal and analytical reflection by Pastor Louis Schweitzer on the state of theological ecumenism, drawing on his experience as director of the Institut Supérieur d'Études Œcuméniques (ISEO), a Parisian institution with tri-confessional governance. The author identifies three factors that have weakened ecumenical momentum: the running out of steam of initial advances, the retreat into confessional identities, and the shift of energy toward interreligious dialogue. He highlights the close dependence of ecumenical theology on ecclesiastical authorities and the people of the Churches, emphasizing the need for effective reception of theological agreements. The main contribution of the article lies in the thesis that the renewal of theological ecumenism is conditioned upon a prior spiritual ecumenism, capable of transforming the wound of separation into a collective will to move beyond it.