The Letter That Changed the Church: Cardinal Bea, John XXIII & the Vatican II Revolution

Cardinal Augustin Bea helped shift the Catholic Church toward ecumenism during the Second Vatican Council, according to accounts from his longtime secretary, Father Stjepan Schmidt. Writing in the book Augustin Bea: The Cardinal of Unity, Schmidt notes that Archbishop Lorenz Jaeger of Paderborn credited Bea with using intelligence and perseverance to ensure the Council supported the cause of Christian unity.

Jaeger stated that Bea’s work opened doors that were previously closed and allowed for global conversations between different Christian confessions. This shift followed a period where previous popes, such as Pius XI, had worked to prevent the ecumenical movement. Jaeger noted that Bea’s ecumenical approach began well before the official opening of the Council.