wfn.org | First anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration

[franki@elca.org]

       on the Doctrine of Justification
LWF general secretary calls for continued ecumenical efforts

GENEVA, 24 October 2000 (LWI) - In a statement issued prior to the
first anniversary of the signing and celebration of the Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JD), the general
secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr. Ishmael
Noko has expressed strong hope that  efforts of continued dialogue
will contribute toward an increased ecumenical understanding of the
church and its ministry.

"The hope for Eucharistic sharing to become a reality some time in
the future must be held high as an outcome of common beliefs and
shared participation in God's justifying grace," Dr. Noko said.

When representatives of the LWF and the Roman Catholic Church signed
on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg, Germany, the Official Common
Statement thereby confirming jointly the JD, the historic act not
only represented the significant fruition of a 30-year process of
bilateral theological dialogue between the two partners, it was also
the first time that a declaration had been made officially and
jointly by both sides. Further, it was an affirmation that a
consensus in basic truths regarding the doctrine of justification had
been reached and that the mutual condemnations from the time of the
Reformation concerning the doctrine of justification do not apply to
the teaching on justification as set forth in the JD.

In the statement dated October 24, Dr. Noko pointed out however, that
there are still substantial differences when it comes to the
understanding of the church and the ministry in the church. He said
some of these differences came to the fore recently when the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the Declaration
Dominus Iesus on the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus
Christ and the Church.

Noko noted that Dominus Iesus does not contain any theological
innovations but is a stark reminder "of how far we still have to go
to reach an 'agreement in basic truths' concerning the church and its
ministry, despite our substantial agreement on the understanding of
salvation."

It is Dr. Noko's hope that the first anniversary of the signing of
the JD will be a time to recall "joyfully" the significant ecumenical
fact that in spite of all differences, "we are nevertheless united in
the salvation we share as God's supreme gift."

The full text of Dr. Noko's statement follows:

Statement by the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation,
Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko

First Anniversary
of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification
Strongly Calls for Continued Ecumenical Efforts

 A year ago, representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
and the Roman Catholic Church, gathered in Augsburg, Germany, and
performed what was recognized as one of the most significant
ecumenical actions of the twentieth century: The signing and
celebration of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
(JD).

For the first time since the Reformation, Lutheran churches, as
represented by the LWF, and the Roman Catholic Church, signed an
official doctrinal document together. The area concerned was one of
primary importance in the controversies of the sixteenth century,
namely, the normative character for the life of the church of the
biblical doctrine of God's saving act in Christ. At the time of the
Reformation, the disputes regarding this doctrine were interlinked
with the controversies over the need for reform in the church. When
doctrinal condemnations were stated mutually, justification by God's
grace alone was particularly in focus.

After many years of dialogue between Lutherans and Roman Catholics
that began in the late 1960s, it became clear that each partner had
nevertheless maintained a common understanding of fundamental points
of doctrine related to justification - even if differences remained
on how its normative role is to be seen. So they agreed that the
common understanding ought to be formulated and officially confirmed.

The agreements reached were not considered as results of
"negotiations" but as tenets, clarified by dialogue, that were-and
are-in keeping with the doctrinal positions on both sides. Careful
scholarly work by Lutheran and Roman Catholic theologians undergirded
the dialogue process leading to the JD expressing a "consensus in
basic truths." The text is substantiated by many references to
significant doctrinal documents (referred to as "Sources") of both
traditions.

On the basis of this consensus, the mutual condemnations by the two
parties from the time of the Reformation are declared to not apply to
the teaching on justification of the two sides as laid out in the JD.

When it comes to the understanding of the church and the ministry in
the church, however, there are still substantial differences. Some of
these differences recently came to the fore after the Declaration
Dominus Iesus was issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, and through the lively discussion following its publication.

The document does not contain any theological innovations but reminds
us, rather starkly, of how far we still have to go to reach an
"agreement in basic truths" concerning the church and its ministry,
despite our substantial agreement on the understanding of salvation.

One important point of divergence is that, for the Roman Catholic
Church, there is a "defectus" in the ministry of the Lutheran
churches. This is an assessment that Lutherans, obviously, cannot
accept. Regarding salvation or justification, on the other hand, the
Roman Catholic Church does not similarly declare a "defectus"
present. I appreciate the strong emphasis made recently by
representatives of the Vatican that the Declaration Dominus Iesus
does not express a "monopoly of salvation" on the part of the Roman
Catholic Church.

Therefore, on the first anniversary of the signing of the JD, we
should allow ourselves to be joyfully reminded of the significant
ecumenical fact that, in spite of all differences, we are
nevertheless united in the salvation we share as God's supreme gift.
What this fact, stated and confirmed in the JD, could mean in view of
achieving increased common understanding of the church and its
ministry is definitely one of the most important tasks of our
continued dialogue. An explicit study in that area was carried out in
the Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue leading to the document "Church
and Justification" (1995). The Declaration Dominus Iesus is a
reminder of the urgency of continued efforts on just that issue in
the time ahead.

On the anniversary of the signing of the JD, we should strongly
maintain hope that the efforts of our continued dialogue, together
with all significant and relevant scholarship carried out in centers
of theological learning, will contribute to growing ecumenical
agreement on what our salvation, as God's work in Christ and in the
Holy Spirit, means for an increased ecumenical understanding of the
church and its ministry. In this context, the hope for Eucharistic
sharing to become a reality some time in the future must be held high
as an outcome of common beliefs and shared participation in God's
justifying grace.

Realistic about the magnitude of the remaining ecumenical tasks
ahead, but hopeful and trusting in God and his guidance in the Holy
Spirit, may we be united in the prayer of the day from the signing
ceremony, a year ago, in the Church of St. Anna:

Jesus Christ, you are the sure foundation on which your Church has
been built. You alone are the one Lord. Give us an ever-deeper
recognition that it is you who has made us members of your Church. We
pray to you, O Lord: Bring about the unity of your Church, so that
all divisions will be overcome. We praise you, who live and rule
forever and ever. Amen.

Geneva, 24 October 2000

(The LWF is a global communion of 131 member churches in 72 countries
representing over 59 million of the world's 63 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, held normally every six
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council
which meets annually, and its Executive Committee. The LWF
secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material
presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of
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