wfn.org | LWF chief officers, vice-presidents will sign 'Joint Declaration'

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Signing will underline Federation's communion aspect
Press Release No. 13/99

BRATISLAVA, Slovak Republic, 29 June 1999 (lwi) - The President, General
Secretary, Treasurer and the five Vice-Presidents of the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) will sign the Lutheran-Roman Catholic "Joint Declaration
on the Doctrine of Justification" on behalf of the Federation.

The LWF president, Bishop Christian Krause, made this announcement on 29
June here as he presented the report of the Executive Committee to
participants in the LWF Council meeting in the Slovak capital from 22 to 29
June 1999.

Krause reported to the Council that the decision as to who will sign was
made on the understanding that the LWF as a communion of churches is best
represented at the historic occasion on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg,
Germany, if the "Joint Declaration" is signed, aside from the President and
the General Secretary as the Federation's chief officers, by the
Vice-Presidents representing the five LWF regions, and the Treasurer. He
explained that the eight persons who will sign the "Joint Declaration"
include "men and women, lay and ordained and will underline the global
communion aspect of the Federation."

The LWF general secretary, Dr. Ishmael Noko, informed the Council members
that he had shared the Executive Committee's decision with the Roman
Catholic Church's representative, the President for the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy. The
Executive Committee had evaluated different issues relating to the signing
of the "Joint Declaration" including what is known about the possible
representation of the Roman Catholic Church at the forthcoming event.
Previously, the Vatican has said that Cardinal Cassidy will sign on behalf
of the Catholics.

Apart from Krause (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick, Germany) and
Noko (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe) the others who will sign
include the five Vice-Presidents namely Bishop H. George Anderson, the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Bishop Julius Filo,
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic, Ms
Parmata Ishaya, Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, President Huberto
Kirchheim, Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil and Rev.
Dr. Prasanna Kumari, Arcot Lutheran Church, India. The latter five
represent the LWF's five geographical regions namely North America, Europe,
Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia, respectively.  The
treasurer, Dr. Sigrun Mogedal, comes from the Church of Norway.

Other concerns raised by the Executive Committee with regard to the signing
of the "Joint Declaration" include the need to have liturgical celebrations
that have parallel leadership of Lutherans and Roman Catholics, the active
participation of lay persons and youth and the presentation of lectures
which will be delivered on 30 October 1999. The planning process together
with the PCPCU will be continued by the LWF general secretary in
consultation with the president.

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(The LWF is a global communion of 124 member churches in 69 countries
representing 58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans. The LWF's
highest decision-making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council, which
meets annually, and its Executive Committee. )

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/