wfn.org | Broad agreement on "Joint Declaration" among German bishops

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

Call for increased fellowship in the congregations

AUGSBURG, Germany/GENEVA, 30 October 1999 (lwi) - The formulation in
the"Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification", 'unity in
reconciled diversity', is of "paramount significance", underlined
Friedrich-Otto Scharbau, president of the Lutheran church office of the
United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD), when he addressed
journalists in Augsburg on 29 October 1999.

During a press conference on the imminent signing of the "Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" on 31 October 1999 in
Augsburg, Scharbau clarified that these documents, including the
'Official Common Statement' and its 'Annex', do not establish church
fellowship, but provide a "new basis for future dialogues on the
subject". Referring to the Leuenberg Agreement of 1973, Scharbau said
the formula of "unity in reconciled diversity" has stood its test for 25
years and the "Joint Declaration" is not a new confession.

The church president emphasized that at its meeting in mid-October in
Brunswick, the VELKD general synod had explicitly affirmed the
confirmation of the "Joint Declaration" as an important step in the
ecumenical understanding of the two church communions. He underlined
that the Protestant churches in Germany had been involved in the
decision-making process on these documents and one could hence speak of
a broad reception process. In view of criticism, mainly on the part of
German university theologians, Scharbau demanded that "the critics
respect that we also developed our position self-critically, carefully
and taking into consideration our responsibility for the teaching and
the unity of the church."

Bishop Paul-Werner Scheele, chairperson of the Ecumenical Commission of
the German Bishops' Conference, recalled the many links between the
Reformation and the city of Augsburg as well as the numerous activities
the development of the "Joint Declaration" had given rise to in Germany.
According to Scheele, the years of "intense discussion" on the "Joint
Declaration" in Germany were a "sign for the significance of the issue
as well as the scope of the project".

Oberkirchenrat Dr. Ernst Oeffner, Evangelical-Lutheran regional bishop
for Augsburg and Swabia, described the "Joint Declaration" as a first
step "towards coming together again". Since the Reformation, it had been
the first concrete dialogue result officially recognized by the
leadership of both churches, he said. Oeffner, however, said that the
document, due to its internal implications has consequences.

 "If we agree on the core of our faith, then this must lead to concrete
improvements in our fellowship in the congregations and for
confessionally mixed marriages and families," Oeffner told journalists
in Augsburg. He also expressed a wish for more ecumenical worship
services which should not be the exception but, rather, "the rule,"
adding that these should take place on Sundays. For the regional bishop,
the mutual recognition as churches of Christ is also on the agenda. The
aim for him is a shared Eucharist, "to begin with at least mutual
invitation to the Lord's table.". In the future, the question should no
longer be: "May we do this together? But, rather, "Why don't we do this
together?, he underlined. Oeffner said he hoped that the signature of
the "Joint Declaration" will be a "real impetus for ecumenical relations
in the congregations."

For Dr. Viktor Josef Dammertz, the Catholic bishop of Augsburg, the
Joint Declaration is a "sign of hope", for him personally and for his
diocese. He added that he was very happy to be associated with this
historic celebration. In a message read out on 31 October in all
congregations of the diocese, the bishop encourages the congregations to
take all steps possible such as celebrating ecumenical worship services,
holding religious conversations, engaging in joint social activities and
breaking down personal prejudices. Dammertz stated that "milestones have
been set for further fellowship toward growing unity in diversity."
According to him, stumbling blocks of misunderstanding and mutual
condemnation have been removed in an important area.

Dammertz asserted that the confirmation of the "Joint Declaration" in
Augsburg had led to increased interest in information and conversations
on ecumenical issues in his diocese even though only few requests for
ecumenical worship services on 31 October had come in due to the fact
that his diocese is predominantly Catholic.

(The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries
representing 58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans. Its
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/