wfn.org | LWF General Secretary to Meet with Ecumenical Patriarch

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

LWF General Secretary to Meet with Ecumenical Patriarch
Progress of Lutheran-Orthodox Dialogue among Issues to be Addressed

ISTANBUL, Turkey/GENEVA, 27 January 2004 (LWI) - The progress of the
international Lutheran-Orthodox dialogue and its new focus on the
significance of the Word and Sacraments (Mysteria) as well as recent
ecumenical developments are among issues that Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, will address during his visit to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, January 27 to 28.

"Our dialogue has already made clear that we are united by much in the way of
a common faith," Noko said in anticipation of the meeting with His All
Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

The LWF general secretary is accompanied by the co-president of the
Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission, Archbishop Dr Georg Kretschmar
(Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States), and the director of
the LWF Office for Communication Services, Ms Karin Achtelstetter.

The program also includes conversations with the members of the Synodical
Committee for Inter-Christian Relations of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople: H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Athanasios of Heliopolis and
Theira (president), H.E. Metropolitan Dr Meliton of Philadelphia, H.E.
Metropolitan Dr Chrysostomos of Myra, H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of
Sassima, Prof. Dr Basil Stavridis, and the Very Rev. Deacon Maximos
(secretary). (214 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 the LWF's information service. Unless
specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or
opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with
acknowledgment.]

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