wfn.org | LWF General Secretary on Pope's Encyclical on the Eucharist

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

LWF General Secretary: Pope's Encyclical on the Eucharist Does Not
Give Sufficient Consideration to Ecumenical Dialogue Achievements
Call to Make Sacramental Life Divine Source of Church Unity

GENEVA, 17 April 2003 (LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
has expressed concern that although the encyclical on the
Eucharist published by Pope John Paul II today acknowledges
significant achievements of ecumenical dialogues involving the
Roman Catholic Church, it "shows that the many years" of such
discussions have not resulted in new considerations concerning the
Eucharist.

In a statement today, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko
notes the encyclical's mention of significant achievements of
ecumenical dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church in recent
years, but criticizes the document's emphasis on "a lack of
sacramental order of the ministry" in the Reformation churches, as
a result of which "the full reality of the Eucharist is not
maintained in these churches." The issue then, says Noko, is how
bilateral dialogues involving the Roman Catholics, may indeed have
an effect on the rules and regulations of eucharistic
administration.

The encyclical, "Ecclesia de Eucharistia," formally addressed to
Roman Catholic Christians, and published on Holy Thursday, focuses
on the Eucharist and its relationship to the church. Noko however
notes that large parts of the document, including core theological
sections interpreting the meaning of the Eucharist, are of
relevance to Lutherans.

The general secretary points out that the Joint Declaration on the
Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), signed by representatives of the
LWF and Vatican in 1999, officially expresses agreements in basic
truths of the gospel. "We understand that ecclesiological and
canonical factors hinder direct consequences of such agreements in
the area of church practices," Noko says. But he cautions that if
no consequences for institutional church relations emerge, this
could be detrimental to the strength of the ecumenical movement.

Noko notes there is recognition that celebrating and sharing
communion together are expressions of a high level of church
fellowship that is not immediately expected in relations with the
Roman Catholic Church. The question therefore, he continues, is
"how on the way toward full communion relations, the intermediary
pastoral arrangements in the area of the Eucharist may be
ecumenically widened."

Noko calls for concerted effort "so that the issue of the
sacramental life of our churches - where Christ himself is really
present" may be less an area of disunity and more a divine source
of the unity for which "Christ prayed and for which we all so
deeply long."

The full text of the statement by the LWF General Secretary
follows:

Statement of the Lutheran World Federation General Secretary, Rev.
Dr Ishmael Noko,
on the encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia

17 April 2003

This Maundy Thursday, Pope John Paul II has published the
encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia. It will be carefully studied
also by Lutheran churches around the world, and will be
substantially commented on by many in the time to come.

As earlier encyclicals of this Pope, so too the present encyclical
is a strongly pastoral document. It unfolds the deep spiritual
dimensions of the sacrament of the Eucharist and its place within
the community of the faithful. By its very nature, the encyclical
letter is addressed to Roman Catholic Christians, and its content
has a specifically Roman Catholic focus. At the same time, large
parts of the document, including core theological sections
interpreting the spiritual meaning of the Eucharist, can also be
understood by Lutherans.

This encyclical comes at a time particularly filled with anguish
and divisions. There is a strong need today for a spiritual and
devotional focus on the divine mystery of God's own presence in
the world. Many believers are turning to God at the present time;
in faith they seek contact with each other across boundaries
dividing them. Christians from different traditions experience a
deep longing for the strength that comes from sharing the gift of
their unity with Christ also through the Eucharist.

Since the Eucharist is instituted by Christ, who offers himself in
this sacrament to all who are incorporated into him through their
baptism, the boundaries of the eucharistic celebration in the
universal church are not identical with the boundaries of church
institutions. This is recognized also by the Roman Catholic
Church.  In this situation, the search for the visible unity of
the church is a central concern in present-day ecumenical
dialogues. Through full communion agreements the visibility of the
unity of the church would increase.

The encyclical mentions the significant achievements of ecumenical
dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church in recent years. These
achievements do indeed give hope for a future in which full
fellowship in our Christian faith can be realized. At the same
time the encyclical states once again the understanding that there
is a lack of the sacramental order of the ministry in the churches
of the Reformation, which are not in communion with the Roman
Catholic Church, and that, as a result, the full reality of the
Eucharist is not maintained in these churches.	The fact that this
is stated again now in this way shows that the many years of
ecumenical dialogue since Vatican II, including dialogue on the
Eucharist in its relationship to the institutional church, have
not resulted in new considerations in this particular area on the
part of the Roman Catholic magisterium. The question therefore
still remains how bilateral dialogues in which the Roman Catholic
Church is engaged, may indeed have an effect on the rules and
regulations concerning the administration of the Eucharist.

The Lutheran-Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification (1999) expresses officially agreements in basic
truths of the gospel. We understand that ecclesiological and
canonical factors hinder direct consequences of such agreements in
the area of church practices. At the same time, if no consequences
for institutional church relations emerge, this can become
detrimental to the strength of the ecumenical movement. In the
long run, the value of reaching doctrinal agreements can be called
into question. For this reason, an indefinite status quo in this
area is clearly not satisfactory, either for the Roman Catholic
Church or for its ecumenical partners.

All those who follow, or are involved in, ecumenical dialogues
recognize that intercommunion and concelebration are expressions
of a high level of church fellowship that is not immediately
expected in relations with the Roman Catholic Church. The question
is how, on the way toward full communion relations, the
intermediary pastoral arrangements in the area of mutual
eucharistic hospitality may be ecumenically widened. This question
is particularly regarded as a pressing one by church traditions
such as the Lutheran, where the sacramental life is core to the
understanding of the church and its unity.

Our efforts must now increase, through ecumenical dialogues as
well as through prayer and common life, so that the sacramental
life of our churches - where Christ himself is really present -
may less and less be an area of disunity and more and more be a
divine source of that unity for which Christ prayed and for which
we all so deeply long.

Ishmael Noko
General Secretary

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where
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