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Cardinal Johannes Gerardus Maria Willebrands (1909-2006) was a Dutch priest from the diocese of Haarlem. He obtained a doctorate in Philosophy in Rome during the Interbellum, and soon after was appointed professor at the Major Seminary of Warmond.
Willebrands emerged out of the Second World War with some personal relations to Jewish families, and with a strong desire for Christian unity across national and confessional borders. He soon developed a broad network of contacts across denominational borders. Throughout the 1950’s he became a pioneer in ecumenical relations, and in 1960 was appointed as the Secretary to John XXIII’s newly created Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity. Seeing his preconciliar efforts officialized, he became – from 1969 on, succeeding Cardinal Bea as the President of the Secretariat – one of the main architects of the Roman Catholic contribution to ecumenism and Jewish-Christian dialogue during and after the Second Vatican Council.
In keeping with cardinal Willebrands’ legacy, the Cardinal Willebrands Archives Foundation and the Tilburg School of Theology have established a research center in 2011, which carries the name of Cardinal Willebrands Research Center (CWRC). Although its scholarly activities will focus specifically on the Roman-Catholic contribution to the history of ecumenism, the Center intends to be an ecumenical, interdisciplinary and internationally oriented institute, directed by a member of Faculty (Church History and Ecumenism) of Tilburg University. Its aims will consist of supporting the study of the history of ecumenism, an history which will be perceived as an ecumenical history.
Willebrands emerged out of the Second World War with some personal relations to Jewish families, and with a strong desire for Christian unity across national and confessional borders. He soon developed a broad network of contacts across denominational borders. Throughout the 1950’s he became a pioneer in ecumenical relations, and in 1960 was appointed as the Secretary to John XXIII’s newly created Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity. Seeing his preconciliar efforts officialized, he became – from 1969 on, succeeding Cardinal Bea as the President of the Secretariat – one of the main architects of the Roman Catholic contribution to ecumenism and Jewish-Christian dialogue during and after the Second Vatican Council.
In keeping with cardinal Willebrands’ legacy, the Cardinal Willebrands Archives Foundation and the Tilburg School of Theology have established a research center in 2011, which carries the name of Cardinal Willebrands Research Center (CWRC). Although its scholarly activities will focus specifically on the Roman-Catholic contribution to the history of ecumenism, the Center intends to be an ecumenical, interdisciplinary and internationally oriented institute, directed by a member of Faculty (Church History and Ecumenism) of Tilburg University. Its aims will consist of supporting the study of the history of ecumenism, an history which will be perceived as an ecumenical history.
