National Catholic Register portal reports on a new documentary, “That They May Be One,” which promotes the idea of Christian unity through the Holy Spirit, featuring speakers from the Catholic Church, Pentecostal, and evangelical communities. The film uses dramatic reenactments and personal testimonies to advocate for the removal of “unnecessary obstacles” and “caricatures” between denominations, culminating in a vision of unity that bypasses the necessity of the Catholic Church as the sole ark of salvation. This review will demonstrate that the film’s premise is a direct manifestation of the modernist heresy condemned by the Church, reducing the supernatural reality of the One True Church to a naturalistic, sentimental gathering of disparate sects.
The Heresy of Indifferentism and the “Hermeneutic of Continuity”
The documentary’s core thesis relies on a fundamental distortion of Our Lord’s High Priestly Prayer in John 17:21. By isolating the phrase “that they may all be one” from its supernatural context—unity in the one true Faith, under the Vicar of Christ—the filmmakers commit the error of religious indifferentism. This is the heresy condemned by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors, which anathematizes the proposition that “every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true” and that “man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation.”
The film quotes Ralph Martin, a prominent figure in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, stating:
One of the things that Vatican II did, which is really, really good, is to say, let’s face it: that Jesus really is praying for us to be one. Let’s remove unnecessary obstacles. Let’s remove caricatures. Let’s start talking to each other rather than throwing stones at each other.
This statement is a textbook example of the “hermeneutic of continuity” used to justify the revolution of Vatican II. Martin’s assertion that the Council’s approach to unity is “really, really good” is a direct rejection of the Church’s perennial teaching. The “unnecessary obstacles” he refers to are, in reality, the dogmas of the Faith—such as the necessity of the sacraments and the Papal primacy—which the Church has always taught are the very means by which unity is achieved. To remove these “obstacles” is to destroy the Church itself.
The Sacraments vs. The “Baptism in the Spirit”
A glaring omission in the film is any mention of the Sacrament of Confirmation or the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The film focuses on the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” as experienced in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles, often characterized by emotional exuberance and speaking in tongues. This is a naturalistic counterfeit of the supernatural reality of the sacraments.
The Catholic Church teaches that the Holy Spirit is conferred in a special manner through the Sacrament of Confirmation, which imprints an indelible character on the soul. The Catechism of the Council of Trent states that Confirmation is “the sacrament which increases sanctifying grace, and imprints a character, and strengthens us for the spiritual combat.” The film’s silence on this matter is deafening. It presents a false dichotomy: either one experiences the Spirit through emotional outpouring, or one is left with a dry, institutional faith. This is a classic modernist tactic—replacing the supernatural with the natural, the objective with the subjective.
The film’s portrayal of St. Elena Guerra, while historically accurate in her devotion to the Holy Spirit, is stripped of its Catholic context. Her call for a “new outpouring” was always understood within the framework of the Church’s sacramental life and the papacy. To use her as a springboard for ecumenical unity with Protestants is to twist her legacy.
The Charismatic Movement: A Trojan Horse for Modernism
The film heavily features the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, an organization that has served as a conduit for Protestant theology and practice within the Church. The film highlights the 1977 Conference on Charismatic Renewal in Kansas City, where 50,000 people gathered, and Martin’s prophecy:
For the body of my Son is broken.
This phrase, while seemingly innocuous, is laden with Protestant overtones. In Catholic theology, the “Body of Christ” refers to the Eucharist and the Church. To use it in a context that emphasizes emotional unity over doctrinal precision is to empty it of its Catholic meaning. The Charismatic movement, by emphasizing personal experience over sacramental grace, has consistently undermined the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist and the priesthood.
The film’s inclusion of figures like Patti Mansfield and Ralph Martin, who have met with the antipopes, further demonstrates its alignment with the conciliar sect. Their authority is derived not from the Magisterium of the true Church, but from the structures of the “Church of the New Advent.”
The Illusion of Unity Without Truth
The film’s title, “That They May Be One,” is a cruel mockery of Our Lord’s prayer. Christ prayed for unity, but He also prayed for sanctification in truth:
Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth.
(John 17:17). The filmmakers, however, seek unity without truth, communion without doctrine. This is the “ecumenism of return” in reverse—a descent into the lowest common denominator of religious sentimentality.
The film ends with the opening title, “That They May Be One,” but it offers no path to that unity except through the dissolution of Catholic identity. It is a call to abandon the “unnecessary obstacles” of dogma, which are in reality the pillars of the true Faith. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, who seeks to unite all religions under the banner of human fraternity, denying the unique and absolute claims of Jesus Christ and His Church.
Conclusion: The Triumph of Naturalism Over Supernaturalism
“That They May Be One” is not a film about Christian unity; it is a film about the triumph of naturalism over supernaturalism. It replaces the objective reality of the sacraments with the subjective experience of emotional fervor. It substitutes the authority of the Magisterium with the consensus of “across-the-board Christians.” It is a product of the conciliar revolution, designed to lead the faithful into the wilderness of indifferentism and apostasy.
The true path to unity is not through the removal of “caricatures” or “obstacles,” but through the return to the unchanging truth of the Catholic Faith. As Pope Pius XI taught in Quas Primas, peace is only possible in the kingdom of Christ, and that kingdom is His Church. Any attempt to build unity outside of this reality is doomed to failure, for it is founded not on the Rock of Peter, but on the shifting sands of human opinion.
Source:
‘That They May Be One’: Jesus’ Prayer Is Focus of New Film on Christian Unity (ncregister.com)
Date: 19.05.2026