Ut omnes unum sint

Coin of the Collège de France from 1845, reverse
on the edge: Borrel fecit 1845

Coat of arms of Jaroslav Škarvada , former auxiliary bishop in Prague

Inscription in the old canteen on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

The ut omnes unum sint , which comes from the Gospel of John ( Joh 17.21  GNB ) , became a Latin motto meaning “that all are one”.

The intention and meaning of the motto can be illustrated using the following quote, which was chosen as the motto for the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, which was reopened in 1946 .

“'Ut omnes unum sint', this sentence from the Gospel of John was emblazoned above the entrance under the tower of the Flakkasene [sic], just below the place where an anti-aircraft gun had previously been. With the wish that all should be 'one' who entered and would enter here, the spiritual defenses should also be mobilized. There should be no uniform ways of thinking in conformity as before, but the diverse individual and group attitudes are aroused. Nevertheless, they should be bundled in the binding values ​​and thus be one: those of the Christian West and humanity based on freedom. "

- Karl Holzamer : New beginning in Mainz 1946. From memoirs. In: Helmut Mathy : Reality exceeds vision. Conversation with Karl Holzamer about the early days of the Johannes Gutenberg University (= writings of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Issue 3). Mainz 1996, ISBN 3-9802819-3-0 , pp. 194-198, 196.

A work by the German-Argentine composer Carlos Veerhoff (1926–2011) has this motto as its title.

Ut omnes unum sint is occasionally chosen by prelates as a personal motto, which thus becomes part of their coat of arms .

The similar ut unum sint with the meaning “that they are one” ( Jn 17:11  GNB ) is the guiding principle of ecumenism . The World Association of YMCA and the World Christian Student Federation (WSCF) have been using this motto since their founding, which goes back to their joint founding member John R. Mott .

On May 25, 1995, John Paul II published an encyclical on ecumenism with the title-giving first words ut unum sint .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Music Texts 78–82. Verlag Musiktexte, Cologne 1999, p. 58.
2. ↑ Coat of arms of Bishop Vitus Schlickmann ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ^ Text of the encyclical Ut unum sint