The distanced closeness. The model of ecumenical relations between Catholics and Protestants – sociological contexts

Abstract

The article deals with the nature of ecumenical relations between Catholics and Protestants. In order to grasp their specificity, they are compared with everyday relations which are not focused on building religious unity between these Christians. This analysis served to reconstruct the model of ecumenism presented on the websites of Catholic weeklies. Additionally, a reflection has been undertaken on the possibility of supporting the ecumenical movement by these services. The analysis is conducted in the sociological perspective on the basis of empirical studies of the content of the Internet services of the Catholic weekly magazines “Gość Niedzielny” and “Niedziela”. Content analysis was applied as a research method, and the texts dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation were studied. This selection of empirical material resulted from the fact that ecumenical themes are rarely taken up in the Catholic press, and the jubilee caused greater interest in them. The sources used were also found research on interfaith relations. The analysis shows that relations between Catholics and Protestants are close and characterised by openness, but they are also marked by distance and remembrance of a difficult history. Moreover, the model of ecumenism promoted by the websites is superficial and concentrates, among other things, on its practical aspect at the expense of its spiritual and theological dimension. The websites of Catholic weekly newspapers, on the other hand, face a hitherto untapped opportunity to support the ecumenical movement.