wfn.org | Bishop Anderson, Cardinal George Discuss Consensus of Joint Declaration

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 8, 1999

Bishop Anderson, Cardinal George Discuss Consensus of Joint Declaration
99-05-26-JB

     PARK RIDGE, Ill. (ELCA) -- Representatives of the Lutheran World
Federation and the Vatican are expected to sign the proposed "Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" this year, saying
condemnations of the 16th century no longer apply and declaring consensus
on an important issue that has divided Lutherans and Roman Catholics for
centuries.
     The date and place for a signing ceremony are yet to be determined.
     The declaration was part of a unique dialogue Jan. 31 between the
Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the 5.2-million member
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and Cardinal Francis
George, Roman Catholic archbishop of Chicago and one of about 150 members
of the College of Cardinals worldwide.  The two discussed the Joint
Declaration at a prayer service that drew nearly 1,000 people to St.
Luke's Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation here.  The event concluded
the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
     Justification has been an issue for Lutherans and Roman Catholics
since the Reformation.  Martin Luther's belief that grace is a free gift
that cannot be earned led to disagreements with the Roman Catholic Church
and his 95 Theses in 1517, which ultimately resulted in his
excommunication and the beginnings of Protestantism. 
     The current proposal is the result of more than 30 years of work
among theologians of both churches, who drafted the consensus statement. 
Bishop Anderson chaired the Lutheran team that worked on it with Roman
Catholics in the 1970s and 1980s.  The proposal was approved in the United
States in 1983. 
     The proposal was then distributed for worldwide consideration, and a
final proposal was drafted in 1997.  The Vatican approved the declaration
and in 1998 sought further clarification on some points, resulting in a
signing delay, for which Cardinal George expressed regret.
     "Many of us regret deeply that the Holy See's call for further
clarification of some of the points of the consensus document was not made
before the Lutheran World Federation finished its long and arduous work of
building consensus among its member Lutheran churches," said Cardinal
George, who represents 2.3 million Chicago-area Roman Catholics. 
     "As it developed, the Holy See's timing of bringing forth very
important needs for clarification was a source of embarrassment to the
Lutheran World Federation, and I regret that most sincerely," said
Cardinal George.
     During the discussion both leaders focused their remarks on a key
passage in the Joint Declaration.
     "Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving
work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and
receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling
us to good works," the passage says.
     Christianity embodies the concept of "sacrifice," but the concept
differs among various religions, said Bishop Anderson. 
     "In Christianity, the sacrifice is one that God put forward," he
said "so the case against a sinful humanity is dismissed. We are justified
... that is, we're declared innocent by God's grace as a gift.  The
righteousness that we did not earn is given to us by God, whose own
righteousness covers ours."
     A mix of religion and politics in the 16th century made it impossible
for theologians to discuss important issues such as justification, Bishop
Anderson said.  That led to condemnations of people in each camp and
Luther's excommunication. Since the Vatican II Council of the early 1960s,
Lutherans and Roman Catholics have a new perspective on justification, he
said.
     The consensus proposal is an important milestone in seeking common
understanding, despite the need to clarify some of the points in the
document, Cardinal George said.
     "Rather than being a source of discouragement, these clarifications
are a call to continue to listen together -- first of all to Christ, and
in Christ to one another," he said.
     Roman Catholics speak of a hierarchy of truths, and their
relationships to each other, the cardinal said.
     "It seems that justification is less central in our Roman Catholic
hierarchy of truths than it seems to be in the Lutheran understanding of
the totality of Christian doctrine," Cardinal George said. "This
difference opens up a very helpful conversation around the perspectives
which shape our life with Christ, our experience as believers."
     Differences still remain between the two traditions, Bishop Anderson
said, noting that the Joint Declaration does not address papal
infallibility and the ordination of women.
     "In God's providence, we will one day walk together," Bishop
Anderson added.
     "These discussions are extraordinarily important for all believers,"
Cardinal George said.
"We're invisibly one already by grace and baptism, and that's basic, but
the visible differences can't just be washed away.  They have to be prayed
away first of all and discussed until clarity is reached, so that nobody
betrays his or her conscience, nobody risks betraying the Lord."

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