"In the context of the ecumenical dialogues which have taken place since the Second Vatican Council, few topics have generated as much discussion and reflection as that of the papacy. What has been the function of this service of unity? What are the foundations of its existence? What are its unrelinquishable elements? What can be renewed in the manner in which the office is carried out?".

"John Paul II's Ut unum sint inspired these essays. In this encyclical the Bishop of Rome recognizes the difficulty that the Petrine office holds for many on the ecumenical journey and exhorts Church leaders and theologians "to engage [him] in a patient and fraternal dialogue" on his ministry.".

"The contributors are theologians and historians who have been involved in the official dialogues of their Churches or with the dialogue process of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches."--BOOK JACKET.