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(Numbers are paragraph numbers in Denzinger's Enchiridion Symbolorum,

The Sources of Catholic Dogma, 30th Edition)

From the Letter of the Sacred Office, September 16, 1864

1685 It has been made known to the Apostolic See that some Catholic

laymen and ecclesiastics have enrolled in a society to "procure" asthey say, the unity of Christianity, established at London in the year

1857, and that already many journalistic articles have been published,

which are signed by the names of Catholics approving this society, or

which are shown to be the work of churchmen commending this same soc-

iety.

But certainly, I need not say what the nature of this society is,

and whither it is tending; this is easily understood from the articles

of the newspaper entitled THE UNION REVIEW, and from that very page on

which members are invited or listed. Indeed, formed and directed by

Protestants, it is animated by that spirit which expressly avows for

example, that the three Christian communions, Roman Catholic, Greek-

schismatic, and Anglican, however seperated and divided from one an-

other, nevertheless with equal right claim for themselves the nameCatholic. Admission, therefore, into that society is open to all,

wheresoever they may live, Catholics, Greek-schismatics, and Angli-

cans, under this condition however, that no one is permitted to raise

a question about the various forms of doctrine in which they disagree,

and that it is right for each individual to follow with tranquil soul

what is acceptable to his own religious creed. Indeed, the society it-

self indicates to all its members the prayer to be recited, and to the

priests the sacrifices to be celebrated according to its own intent-

ion: namely, that the said three Christian communions, inasmuch as

they, as it is alleged, together now constitute the Catholic Church,

may at some time or other unite to form one body....

1686 The foundation on which this society rests is of such a nature

that it makes the divine establishment of the Church of no consequ-

ence. For it is wholly in this: that it supposes the true Church of

Jesus Christ to be composed partly of the Roman Church scattered and

propogated throughout the whole world, partly, indeed, of the schism

of Photius, and of the Anglican heresy, to which, as well as to the

Roman Church, "there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism" [cf.Eph 4:5].

Surely nothing should be preferable to a Catholic man than that sch-

isms and dissensions among Christians be torn out by the roots and

that all Christians be "careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the

bond of peace" [Eph.4:3]....But, that the faithful of Christ and the

clergy should pray for unity under the leadership of heretics, and,

what is worse, according to an intention, polluted and infected as

much as possible with heresy, can in no way be tolerated. The true

Church of Jesus Christ was established by divine authority, and is

known by a fourfold mark, which we assert in the creed must be beli-

eved; and each one of these marks so clings to the others that it can-

not be seperated from them; hence it happens that that Church which

truly is, and is called Catholic should at the same time shine with

the prerogatives of unity, sanctity, and apostolic succession. There-

fore, the Catholic Church alone is conspicuous and perfect in the un-

ity of the whole world and of all nations, particularly in that unity

whose beginning, root, and unfailing origin are that supreme authority

and "higher principality" of Blessed PETER, the prince of the Apost-

les, and of his successors in the Roman Chair. No other Church is

Catholic except the one which, founded on the one PETER, grows into

one "body compacted and fitly joined together"[Eph.4:16] in the unity

of faith and charity....

Therefore, the faithful should especially shun this London society,

because those sympathizing with it favor indifferentism and engender

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scandal.

From the Decree of the Holy Office, July 8, 1927

2199 Whether it is permitted Catholics to be present at, or take part

in conventions, gatherings, meetings, or societies of non-Catholics

which aim to associate together under a single agreement all who inany way lay claim to the name of Christian?

Reply: In the negative, and there must be complete adherence to the

decree (De participatione catholicorum societati, "ad procurandam

christianitatis unitatem") on the participation of Catholics in a soc-

iety "to procure the unity of Christianity."

Note: The decree just mentioned in the reply is the Letter of the

Sacred Office, September 16, 1864 above (which you probably just read).