Former LWF President Krause Receives Ecumenical Award
The Focolare Movement conferred the 2006 Klaus Hemmerle Award on Bishop emeritus Dr Christian Krause, a former president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), for his dedication to ecumenism.
The award commemorates Roman Catholic Bishop of Aachen, Klaus Hemmerle (1929-1994), a pioneer of ecumenical life in Germany, and renowned theologian with ties to the Focolare Movement.
In his tribute, Muenster theologian Dr Wilfried Hagemann, particularly praised Krause's commitment to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. The declaration was signed in October 1999 by representatives of the LWF and the Roman Catholic Church in Augsburg, Germany.
During the January 20 ceremony in Aachen, Germany, Hagemann described Krause as a bridge builder. "Today we are honoring a Christian who devotes all his energy to the unity of the church." Krause, LWF president, 1997-2003, was bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick, Germany.
The non-remunerated award recognizes individual commitment to promoting unity and dialogue in church and public life. This was the second time the award was conferred this year. Jewish professor Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich from Basel, Switzerland, was the first recipient.
Established in 1943 in Trient, Italy, the Focolare Movement is a Roman Catholic lay movement currently represented in more than 180 countries worldwide. In addition to ecumenical engagement, the movement is particularly committed to promoting dialogue between religions. (229 words)
(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 66.2 million. 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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