wfn.org | U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue Began Round Ten

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 16, 1998

U.S. LUTHERAN-ROMAN CATHOLIC DIALOGUE BEGAN ROUND TEN
98-33-191-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) began the tenth
round of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue in the United States here
Sept. 3-5.  The title of this round is "The Church as Koinonia of
Salvation: Its Structures and Ministries."
     "Koinonia" is an anglicized Greek word that appears several times in
the Christian Bible and is translated as "fellowship, a close mutual
relationship; participation, sharing in; partnership; contribution, gift."
The dialogue will take up issues of koinonia as they relate to "ordained
ministry and structures of church unity," said a communique from the
dialogue.
     The NCCB and the U.S.A. National Committee of the Lutheran World
Federation initiated the first round of the "bilateral" that began in 1965.
The dialogue has produced a number of common statements on such topics as
Scriptures, saints and justification by faith.
     There was a five-year break between the ninth and tenth rounds while
the churches studied a "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification," declaring that certain 16th century condemnations of each
others teachings no longer apply.  The Lutheran World Federation and the
Vatican approved the Joint Declaration in June, but there are currently no
plans for a formal signing of the document.
     "There was an extended discussion of the Joint Declaration on the
Doctrine of Justification," said the dialogue's communique.  "The U.S.
dialogue welcomed the degree of positive response from the churches thus
far and showed a hope that everything possible will be done to move forward
to an unreserved affirmation and signing of the Joint Declaration."
     A new booklet summarizing the results of the U.S. and international
dialogues was unveiled at the meeting.  "The Lutheran-Catholic Quest for
Visible Unity: Harvesting Thirty Years of Dialogue," an educational paper
prepared by the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Coordinating Committee, was
published by the ELCA and NCCB.
     The Lutheran co-chair of the dialogue is the Rev. Charles H. Maahs,
bishop of the ELCA's Central States Synod.  The Roman Catholic co-chair is
the Most Rev. Richard J. Sklba, auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee.
     The other Lutheran members of the dialogue are: the Rev. Lowell G.
Almen, secretary of the ELCA, Chicago; the Rev. Sarah Henrich, Luther
Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; the Rev. Scott S. Ickert, Resurrection Lutheran
Church, Arlington, Va.; the Rev. Winston D. Persaud, Wartburg Theological
Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa; the Rev. John H.P. Reumann, Philadelphia; Dr.
Michael Root, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio.
     The other Roman Catholic members of the dialogue are: the Rev. Joseph
A. Fitzmyer, SJ, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.; the Rev. Patrick
Granfield, OSB, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.; the
Rev. Bertram F. Griffin, Mt. Angel Seminary, St. Benedict, Ore.; Dr.
Margaret O'Gara, University of St. Michael's College, Toronto, Ontario;
Prof. Michael Slusser, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh; the Rev. Georges
Tavard, AA, Brighton, Mass.; and Dr. Susan K. Wood, SCL, St. John's
University, Collegeville, Minn.
     The dialogue is staffed by Bro. Jeffrey Gros, FSC, and the Rev. John
F. Hotchkin of the NCCB's Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious
Affairs and by the Rev. Randall R. Lee and the Rev. Darlis J. Swan of the
ELCA's Department for Ecumenical Affairs.  The Rev. Daniel F. Martensen,
director of the ELCA Department for Ecumenical Affairs, serves as a
consultant to the dialogue.

For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director 1-773-380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html