wfn.org | LWF President Calls for Commitment to Global Justice as Tribute

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

LWF President Calls for Commitment to Global Justice as Tribute to Silver
Anniversary of Pope John Paul II's Pontificate 
Hanson Underscores Pope's Dedication to Search for Visible Unity
of the Christian Church

GENEVA, 16 October 2003 (LWI) - On the occasion of the 25th
anniversary of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II today, Bishop
Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
has commended the Pope's significant contributions to the
ecumenical movement, and urged that the day be marked by
"committing ourselves to pray and work for justice and peace in
the world, and greater understanding among people."

The LWF president says that "while some may argue" that the
Pope's conservative theological commitments have increased the
divide among Christians, he is convinced that "this Pope is truly
committed to the search for the visible unity of the Christian
church." 

In a statement issued today, Hanson, presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, cites the pontiff's
personal support for the October 1999 signing of the Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) between the
LWF and Roman Catholic Church. He commends the Vatican's
commitment to making the JDDJ "come alive" in congregations
through prayer and study between Roman Catholics and Lutherans.

Hanson also refers to the 1995 encyclical Ut Unum Sint, on
commitment to ecumenism, which points not only to the Pope's
dedication to the unity of the church but also invites
conversation about the role of the bishop of Rome as an agent for
achieving that unity. He comments as well on the April 2003
Ecclesia de Eucharistia, on the church and Eucharist. In his
view, the encyclical, while clearly stating that sharing Holy
Communion is not possible without complete doctrinal agreement
and reunion with the bishop of Rome, emphasizes that unity around
the Lord's table is "a matter to be longed for and prayed for
most urgently."

The LWF president observes that while not every decision of the
current pontiff might have "significantly advanced" the cause of
church unity, Pope John Paul II is one of the most significant
global figures in the closing years of the second millennium and
at the dawn of the third. (363 words)

The full text of LWF President Mark S. Hanson's statement
follows: 

Statement on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the
Pontificate of Pope John Paul II

by Bishop Mark S. Hanson, 
President
The Lutheran World Federation

On October 16, 2003, Pope John Paul II will mark the 25th
anniversary of his election as bishop of Rome. As the fourth
longest reigning pope in history, John Paul II marks this
anniversary with a remarkable series of accomplishments. The most
traveled pope in history, he has brought the Good News of Jesus
Christ personally to millions of people around the globe.  He has
insistently challenged Christians to be engaged in God's world
for the sake of justice and peace. The Pope's personal
experience of the harsh realities of communism and his persistent
call for freedom contributed, I believe, to the fall of the iron
curtain. Praying in a Jewish Synagogue and Muslim Mosque were
powerful and humble signs of his commitment to concord in a
fearful and divided world.

Still, no one should underestimate the significant contributions
this Pope has made to the ecumenical movement. While defending
with great clarity the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
through 14 encyclicals or teaching documents and a similar number
of apostolic letters, John Paul II also has reminded us of our
Lord's calling to deepen the unity Christians share in Jesus
Christ. While some may argue that this Pope's conservative
theological commitments have increased the divide among
Christians, I remain convinced that in his heart, this Pope is
truly committed to the search for the visible unity of the
Christian church.

As evidence of this conviction, and writing as a Lutheran, one
of the most important signals of John Paul II's ecumenical
commitment is his personal support for the signing of the Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification between the Lutheran
World Federation and the Vatican in 1999. Not only did this
document clarify the teaching of this fundamental Christian
doctrine, it achieved through "differentiated consensus" an
agreement on one of the most controverted issues from the time of
the Reformation.  This event also began the process of deepening
relationships between the two theological traditions.  Lutherans
and Roman Catholics around the globe together are experiencing a
heightened awareness of how much we share in our confession of
the Christian faith.  This closer relationship has resulted in
even greater hospitality characterized especially by more intense
conversation and closer personal relationships. The Vatican's
commitment to making this agreement "come alive" in local
congregations through prayer and study between Roman Catholic and
Lutheran members is another sign of the commitment to ecumenism.

A second significant contribution to the ecumenical movement
occurred when the Pope published the encyclical Ut Unum Sint (On
Commitment to Ecumenism) on May 25, 1995.  This teaching document
points not only to this Pope's commitment to the unity of the
Church but also invites conversation about the role of the bishop
of Rome as an agent for achieving that unity.  Acknowledging that
the papacy represents a major stumbling block for Christian
unity, John Paul II nonetheless forges ahead with a proposal that
the role of the bishop of Rome be discussed by all Christians,
looking toward a reform of the papal office and ministry so that
it may indeed serve as an instrument of the Church's unity. 
Even the Pope's most recent encyclical, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, (On the Church and the Eucharist) published last
April, while making clear that sharing Holy Communion together is
not possible short of complete doctrinal agreement and reunion
with the bishop of Rome, nonetheless sounds a clarion call that
unity around the Lord's Table is a matter to be longed for and
prayed for most urgently.

Finally, one needs to take into account the numerous ways in
which the ecumenical community was included in the events marking
the great jubilee year of 2000. Ecumenical representatives
assisted Pope John Paul in opening one of the great jubilee doors
at the church of St Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome during the
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  Prayers for peace included
an ecumenical as well as an interfaith dimension.  Nor can anyone
forget the unprecedented liturgy during the season of Lent in
which the Pope and Vatican officials at the highest levels asked
for forgiveness for the sins committed by sons and daughters of
the Catholic Church.

Has every decision of this pontiff significantly advanced the
cause of Church unity? Certainly not. But surely history will
judge that Pope John Paul II is one of the most significant
figures on the world stage in the closing years of the second
millennium and at the dawn of the third.  Many of his
contributions have fostered and deepened relationships among the
Body of Christ and have moved us closer to our Lord's desire
"that all may be one."	Let us mark the occasion of the 25th
anniversary of John Paul II's pontificate by committing
ourselves to pray and work for justice and peace in the world,
and greater understanding among people. (830 words)

(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 and inter-faith 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' 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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