wfn.org | The relevance of Bonheoffer for the ecumenical future

["Ruth Gill" <rag@cec-kek.org>]

The Conference of European Churches is pleased to forward the
following press release from the International Bonhoeffer
Congress

9th International Bonhoeffer Congress  - Rome, June 6- 11, 2004
11 June 2004

The relevance of Bonhoeffer for the ecumenical future

The 9th International Bonhoeffer Congress closed today with a
panel discussion on "Bonhoeffer and the Ecumenical Future". The
first speaker was Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. He spoke on
"Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Vision of the Church as Discipleship",
pointing out the relevance of his reflection on the future of the
Church: "The future for him was not a Church of apologetical
self-defence nor the restoration of old confessionalism, but a
Church as radical being for others, a Church that does not rule
but helps and serves". Cardinal Kasper underlined that this
vision "is deeply christologically founded in his conception of
God's condescendence in Jesus Christ" and in "Luther's theologia
crucis". "His theology", Cardinal Kasper concluded, "is
intimately linked with his life and his death as a witness of
faith. His theology is reflected discipleship", and especially
with his biblical concept of discipleship Bonhoeffer "has
something to say even today about the future of the Church, to
Protestants and Catholics alike".

The second panelist was Dr Margot Kaessmann, Lutheran Bishop of
Hanover (Germany). Quoting a famous Bonhoeffer text from 1934,
she underlined the need for the ecumenical movement to "give
people a new sense of belonging together" against nationalism,
racism, gender discrimination and other divisions. The ecumenical
movement has to "unmask all the idols of this world who want to
become our God"; it has to stand up for human rights and to
declare that "there is no way to peace, but peace is the way"; it
has to rediscover the importance of Bonhoeffer's vision of  "the
one great Ecumenical Council of the Holy Church of Christ all
over the world" to be convened for the sake of peace, justice and
the integrity of creation. Acknowledging the ethical and
theological differences which exist within Christianity, Bishop
Kaessmann concluded. "Now is the time that Christians in this
world accept their differences, clarify their profile, engage in
theological debate and at the same time give a credible witness
of their unity - that exists despite and over all these
differences - through a Council for a sustainable future, a
Council of hope".

The last speaker was the Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, a theologian from
Zimbabwe who is General Secretary of the Lutheran World
Federation. He underlined that Bonhoeffer, like many prophets,
"cannot be understood in isolation from his contemporaries and
those who came before him". As the moon and the stars are
interdependent, giving light to each other, so is the reality of
the "communion of saints", embodied in Bonhoeffer's community
life and prayer. He suggested reading Bonhoeffer's letters from
the prison as an illustration of the Lord's prayer, where the
stress is on the "our": our Father, our daily bread, our
trespasses... Dr Noko concluded that Bonhoeffer led the
ecumenical movement "out of the premises of the church buildings
into the world".

After the panel, participants gathered in the Chapel of Casa La
Salle for the closing service, with Prof. John de Gruchy (South
Africa) as preacher. Commenting on the text of Acts stating that
"it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called
'Christians'", he said: "The name Christian carries a legacy both
of greatness and shame, glory and disgrace. We are aware of so
much that has been done in the name of Christ that has been
wrong... Bonhoeffer was deeply conscious of this legacy
associated with Inquisition, Crusade and Pogrom". But there is
"another side to the legacy, the greatness and glory of
Christianity", which "has been most revealed in weakness rather
than in power, in service to others rather than in their
domination". 

The Congress will close on Friday 11 June. For more information
please refer to our website www.bonhoeffercongress.org