The Parallel Contribution of the 'Journées oecuméniques de Chevetogne'(1942-1963) and the 'Conférence Catholique pour les questions oecuméniques' (1952-1963)to the Renewal of Catholic Ecclesiology and Ecumenism before and during Vatican II

During the recent commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council the complex redaction history of the conciliar documents received a lot of scholarly attention. Key ideas such as the need for permanent reform of the Church and for a better equilibrium between Pope and bishops, were prepared and tested in progressive theological milieus in the decades preceding the Council. The Catholic reflection on ecclesiology and ecumenism was developing in international conferences organized by the monks of Chevetogne and in a European network under the leadership of the later Cardinal Willebrands. This research will pay attention to the biblical and patristic ‘ressourcement’ and to new insights on the nature and structure of the Church in these networks, in order to expose the pre-conciliar origins of the changes in Catholic ecclesiology.