Declaration Dominus Iesus, the document issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Roman Catholic Church, has created a stir among leadership of churches which do not fall under papal jurisdiction. The document declares that the Roman Church is the only "instrument for the salvation of all humanity," and "there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him," and that other churches "are not churches in the proper sense."

The declaration is disappointing to Anglicans who had longed for a closer relationship with the Church of Rome, particularly after hopeful signs had emerged from the meeting of Anglican and Roman Catholic leaders in Canada this year. In addition, the last meeting of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) noted that the two churches were on common ground on a number of important issues. Particularly discouraging is that the declaration seems to ignore the progress made by Roman Catholic ecumenicists with Anglicans, Lutherans and others during the past 25 or 30 years.

Publication of the Vatican's stance is also disheartening when considering the emphasis placed on ecumenism by Pope John Paul II. The pope has reached out to other Christians and has revealed an open-mindedness on ecumenical endeavors not shown by his predecessors. His leadership in this area seems to have made an impression on ordinary Roman Catholics, who are much more ecumenical in scope than in previous generations and are likely to be dismayed by the decree.

The pronouncements of the declaration are not new, merely restating the consistent teaching of Vatican II, that there is only one true church, and that other churches suffer from "defects," but the tone of the document seems more harsh, even intolerant, to most observers. No one would question the Roman church's right to remind its members of the tenets of its doctrine. But to ignore the dialogue, cooperation and achievements of the ecumenical movement is a jarring return to the past.