The unity of the Church in Saint Irenaeus’ ecclesiology

The unity of the Church has always been of major concern for early Christians. They understood this unity as a real tangible experience, remote and hidden in the uncertainty of the future. They believed that the unity of the Church could secure the cohesion among the Christian communities, and the communication inside the Christian community was, in its turn, the essential condition that provided the support for the consolidation and the development of the ecclesial unity. The Fathers of the Church have understood the importance of keeping and supporting the unity and the stability inside the Church, in order to provide an efficient Christian mission everywhere in the world. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the evolution and complexity of the ecumenical dimension of Irenaeus of Lyon’s ecclesiology, one of the most representatives of the Fathers of the Church, during the early centuries. Aware of the power of dialogue and pastoral mission, he preached not only for the early Christians who at that time found themselves surrounded and confused by different inaccurate doctrines, but also for the pagans, to whom he spread the message of Jesus Christ’s Gospel of love.