wfn.org | General Secretary Noko to Represent the Lutheran World

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

General Secretary Noko to Represent the Lutheran World Federation at
Pope's Funeral
LWF Presence Significant in View of Lutherans, Roman Catholics' "Shared
Faith Journey"

GENEVA, 7 April 2005 (LWI) - The General Secretary of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, will represent the LWF at
the funeral of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on Friday, April 8.

Pope John Paul II died on April 2 at the age of 84. Following a funeral
mass at St Peter's Basilica on Friday morning, the pope's remains will
be buried in a crypt under the basilica. Noko is among representatives
of different Christian confessions and other religions who have been
invited for the funeral.

Speaking to Lutheran World Information (LWI) prior to his departure for
Rome, Noko said the LWF's presence at the pope's funeral was significant
in view of Lutherans' and Roman Catholics' "shared journey of faith,"
specifically in the context of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification (JDDJ).

He cited Pope John Paul II's commitment to the international dialogue
process that led to the JDDJ signing in October 1999. "We will always
remember him as the pope who fostered an unprecedented growth in
Lutheran-Roman Catholic relations," Noko said, echoing a statement by
the LWF President, Bishop Mark S. Hanson, upon the pope's death. Hanson
is Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Signed in Augsburg, Germany, in the context of an international and
regional dialogue process spanning over 30 years, the JDDJ affirms
agreement in basic truths with regard to the biblical doctrine of
justification, which was a central subject of dispute at the time of the
16th century Reformation.

"Pope John Paul II leaves behind a challenge to his successor with
regard to the unfinished ecumenical agenda. For us Lutherans, moving
toward full communion between the two partners remains the essential
goal. We need to think of a possible joint declaration with regard to
the ministry and the Eucharist. Unless this happens, the JDDJ will
remain a theoretical matter that has no significant impact on the lives
of Lutherans and Roman Catholics," the LWF General Secretary said.

"I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinals in their search
for a spiritual leader, who has compassion, is dedicated to the unity of
the Church, and is impassioned about a transformation of the human race
into a human family," Noko concluded. (400 words)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138
member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of
nearly 66 million Christians. 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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