“Together Met, Together Bound”: Liturgy and Ecumenism

This presidential address for the 2023 Congress of Societas Liturgica provides an initial exploration of the Congress theme “Liturgy and Ecumenism.” After situating the theme in the context of the history of Societas Liturgica and its continuing commitment to ecumenical dialogue and liturgical practice, it explores recent challenges to the relationship between liturgy and ecumenism. The address then examines three models of this relationship. The first two models, believing together and praying differently, and believing differently and praying together, reflect recent discussions of “reconciled diversity” and the problems that continue from such reconciliation. The third model, believing together and praying together, uses recent discussions of “receptive ecumenism” to explore the ways in which churches might learn from the liturgical and theological gifts of each other .