wfn.org | LWF and Vatican Jointly Urge Churches Worldwide to Celebrate

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

LWF and Vatican Jointly Urge Churches Worldwide to Celebrate Fifth
Anniversary of Joint Declaration 
Giving Common Witness to the Gospel amid Increasing Secularization 

GENEVA, 1 March 2004 (LWI) * The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) have jointly invited
the LWF member churches and Roman Catholic Church worldwide to celebrate the
fifth anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
(JDDJ) by focusing on the ecumenical resources that the agreement represents.

Representatives of the LWF and Roman Catholic Church jointly signed the JDDJ
on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg, Germany, officially stating that there is
consensus between Lutherans and Roman Catholics on basic truths related to
the doctrine of justification. "It is our heartfelt view that the Fifth
Anniversary of the [JDDJ] signing calls for celebrations and for renewed
study around the world," write LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko and
PCPCU President Walter Cardinal Kasper in a joint letter to the churches.

Since the declaration was signed, the LWF and PCPCU have undertaken many
joint initiatives to deepen the consensus reached so far. In 2001, Lutherans
and Roman Catholics invited the Methodists and Reformed to a consultation on
the theme "Unity in Faith * The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification in a Wider Ecumenical Context." At this forum the question was
raised how other Christian world communions could relate to the agreements
reached in the JDDJ. Currently the World Methodist Council is preparing a
theologically substantiated affirmation of the JDDJ. 

Within the LWF, a significant part of the JDDJ follow-up has been the study
program on the contemporary meaning of justification, "Justification in the
World's Contexts" (LWF Documentation 45/2000,) and the 2002 international
symposium that resulted in the publication "The Doctrine of Justification:
Its Reception and Meaning Today," 2/2003). These events brought together
those involved in official dialogues with those examining questions about the
current relevance of justification in different situations.

Further follow-up includes  the fourth phase of the international
Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity, which is working on the theme of
the "Apostolicty of the Church" including the question of ministry. 

To consider the broader biblical basis for the doctrine of justification, a
symposium of biblical scholars is being planned. The letter also mentions the
2001 symposium on the meaning of indulgences today co-hosted by the LWF,
PCPCU and World Alliance of Reformed Churches in light of concerns expressed
by Lutheran and Reformed Christians on the occasion of ecumenical
celebrations related to the Jubilee Year 2000.

Noko and Kasper point out that substantial further work remains to be done
before agreement in all its fullness is reached between Lutherans and Roman
Catholics regarding the significance of the doctrine of justification in
church life. They underline that "the Joint Declaration itself (cf. paragraph
43), and the Official Common Statement by which the Joint Declaration was
confirmed, both call for continued ecumenical efforts by the two sides."

In their letter, Noko and Kasper affirm the JDDJ signing as "not yet the
final goal but an important milestone on our common pilgrimage to full
visible unity." As a result of the declaration, they note, "we can give
common witness to the essence of the gospel. This is highly important in our
present-day world of growing secularization and loss of the meaning of life."

They see the JDDJ's fifth anniversary on 31 October 2004, as an opportunity
for churches and dioceses around the world to contribute to the ongoing
discussion of the issues and challenges that still remain. They recommend a
day of study around the time of the celebration, arranged in cooperation with
seminaries or theological faculties, as a good way for pastors and
theologians to deepen their understanding of what has been achieved and what
remains to be done.

The full text of the JDDJ with the Official Common Statement and its Annex
are available from the LWF and PCPCU offices. The documents can be downloaded
in PDF format from the LWF and Vatican Web sites
http://www.lutheranworld.org/Special_Events/LWF-1999-Official_Documents.html
and
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_p
c_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html 

(669 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 62.3 million of the almost 66 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
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