Henn think that the Church is a uniquely distinctive grouping of people because its origins and aims fundamentally concern the relationship of humans with God. Because God initiates this relationship, the Church is rightly understood as the result of his redeeming activity. He argues that the encounter with Christ, which gave birth to the Church , is as necessary as ever for it to continue in existence now. Thus the Church today needs to be a community in which people can meet the living, risen Jesus. All those who know Christ should be friends to each other and should share the Eucharist which Jesus gave the Church to evening before his death. Therefore the great fruits of the ecumenical movement during the past century need to serve as the basis for realistic steps towards greater communion.

Professor William Henn is Professor of Ecclesiology at the Gregorian University in Rome.