wfn.org | ELCA, LWF Leaders Visit Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 2, 2004

ELCA, LWF Leaders Visit Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul
04-014-JB

     ISTANBUL, Turkey (ELCA) -- The presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) praised His All
Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Batholomew for his great concern
for care of the environment, and said that people of faith
appreciate the patriarch's leadership often carried out "in the
face of adversity."
     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson and a 14-member joint ELCA-Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) delegation met with Bartholomew for about
45 minutes Jan. 28 here at the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  Hanson
also made the visit in his role as LWF president.  He was
accompanied by the Rev. Ishmael Noko, LWF general secretary,
Geneva, Switzerland.
     Bartholomew is the world leader of Orthodox Christians,
which include churches such as Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox
and Antiochan Orthodox churches.  Among patriarchs who lead the
many Orthodox churches, Bartholomew is considered "first among
equals."
     The ELCA group was originally scheduled to visit Orthodox
leaders here as part of the presiding bishop's March 2003
ecumenical journey, which included meetings with world church
leaders in Geneva, Rome and London.  But the group postponed its
trip here until 2004 because of security concerns related to the
start of the U.S.-led war with Iraq.  The January trip here was
not announced in advance because of those concerns.
     During the audience Bartholomew, Hanson and Noko exchanged
formal statements, and Bartholomew described his trip to dedicate
an Orthodox church building in Cuba, from which he returned
earlier in the same week.
     "I am here to witness to the growing unity we have in
Christ," Hanson said in his statement.	He said the LWF Assembly
in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in July 2003, with the theme "For the
Healing of the World," focused on justice and peace and the
healing of divisions within the church.
     In his role as ELCA presiding bishop, Hanson said he has
"come to appreciate all the more that Lutherans and Orthodox have
much that binds us together."  He noted that followers of Martin
Luther hoped to forge strong ties with Constantinople (Istanbul)
and that key agreements have been reached in the U.S. Lutheran-
Orthodox dialogue.
     Bartholomew is known in many circles as the "Green
Patriarch" because of his emphasis on care of the environment.
Hanson presented Bartholomew with a copy of the ELCA social
statement on the environment, "Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope
and Justice."  He also presented the ecumenical patriarch with a
glass mosaic of the ELCA emblem.
     "The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) wishes to strengthen
its partnership with Orthodox sisters and brothers in all places
and in all ways," said the Rev. Ishmael Noko, LWF general
secretary, in his remarks.  A strengthened partnership, said
Noko, would contribute "to the accomplishment of our efforts in
all areas where churches struggle with serious challenges in the
world."
     The LWF and the Ecumenical Patriarchate share similar
concerns and commitments regarding conflict resolution and peace
building, Noko said. He underlined the patriarch's "strong
dedication to the cause of protecting God's creation as it has
been entrusted to us for good stewardship, with respect for all
life and its environment."
     "It is a pleasure and a blessing at the same time to come
together as Christian brothers and sisters," Bartholomew said in
his remarks to the Lutherans. "We really appreciate your visit to
our church which is an expression of the long and good
relationship between our two churches."
     The Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate has existed for 1,700
years, he said. For many centuries, the Orthodox Church was the
"center" of all Christianity, and today it is still the center of
Orthodoxy, Bartholomew said.
     The Orthodox Church responds to a variety of human needs and
seeks justice for all, Bartholomew said.  "Moreover, we work
against all kinds of violence including terrorism," he said.  "It
is not surprising that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been
working for the peaceful coexistence of religious communities
here and abroad.  We have been living in a predominantly Muslim
environment for centuries and our Patriarchate has always
encouraged people to live together in peace and harmony,
independently of their differences in race, religion and
culture."
     On Christian unity, the ecumenical patriarch noted that such
relationships can be difficult to develop. "Nevertheless, we have
found good partners in this journey among the Evangelical
Lutheran Church," he said.  "We thank God for all the progress we
have made together so far.  It's always been a pleasure for us to
be with you, to have a theological dialogue with you and to share
with you not only our knowledge but also our spiritual
experience."
     Bartholomew said Lutherans and Orthodox members should "join
our spiritual forces so as to work constructively and fruitfully"
on environmental matters.
     "We take your visit as an opportunity to demonstrate our
brotherly love to you and to renew our commitment to the
continuation of our common spiritual journey toward unity,"
Bartholomew concluded.

LWF President, Cuba Visit, Monastery Noted
     Following the exchange of statements, Bartholomew spoke
informally to the Lutherans.  "It seems providential that you
would come here in another capacity," Bartholomew told Hanson.
Since the postponement of the originally scheduled visit here
last March, Hanson was elected LWF president and now represents
63 million Lutherans worldwide, including the 5-million member
ELCA.
     When he was a young bishop, Bartholomew said he visited the
ELCA churchwide office in Chicago, and in 1995, he visited the
LWF in Geneva as ecumenical patriarch.
     Through the LWF Lutherans are involved in an international
theological dialogue with Orthodox Christians, and in North
America the ELCA is in a dialogue with the Orthodox.  Bartholomew
noted the "longstanding" relationship of the Orthodox with
Lutheran "brothers and sisters" and said he encouraged the
dialogues "as a continuation of our relationship and fellowship
in Christ."
     Bartholomew said he was personally received by Cuban
President Fidel Castro, who offered to translate some Orthodox
theological books into Spanish and proposed opening an Orthodox
seminary in Cuba, at which students would be trained in Spanish.
Bartholomew called that "a happy surprise" and said the proposal
was welcome, but he said it is also very important for an
Orthodox monastery on Halki Island near Istanbul to reopen first
before establishing a seminary in Cuba.  The ELCA group visited
the Halki Island monastery, known as the Holy Monastery of St.
Trinity, Jan. 29.
     The monastery, which has trained Orthodox clergy for
centuries, has been closed since 1971, though a small staff
remains there to host scholars who use the library.  A grade
school is also operated there.
     The monastery was closed 33 years ago by a government order
which outlawed privately operated universities, said Metropolitan
Apostolos Daniilidis, monastery abbot.	 Since then the Orthodox
Church has been working with the government in hopes of reopening
the monastery to seminary students, he said.
-- -- --
     Presiding Bishop Hanson's formal statement to His All
Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is at
http://www.elca.org/bishop/messages.html on the ELCA Web site.
     Information about Lutheran-Orthodox dialogues can be found
on the Department for Ecumenical Affairs home page at
http://www.elca.org/ea on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news