wfn.org | Chilean Lutherans and Catholics celebrate "Joint Declaration"

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

Ecumenical services in various congregations

SANTIAGO, Chile/GENEVA 17 November 1999 (lwi) - The Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Chile (IELCH) and the local Catholic Church held ecumenical
services in Santiago, Concepci˘n and Punta Arenas to celebrate the signing
of the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" which took
place in Augsburg, Germany, on 31 October 1999.

In Santiago, a service presided over by the IELCH President Pastor Martin
Junge was held on Reformation Day, 31 October, in the protestant church of
the Good Shepherd (El Buen Pastor). The Catholic Archbishop of Santiago,
Monsignor Francisco Javier Err zuriz together with representatives of
various denominations were among those who participated in the joint
celebration. Catholic bishops Antonio Moreno and Tom s Gonzalez took part
in similar services that were held the same day at the Martin Luther
Congregation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Concepci˘n and Punta
Arenas respectively.

Lutheran-Catholic encounters have also been arranged around the "Joint
Declaration"to celebrate this step towards seeking unity and promoting
ecumenical dialogue. During one such forum -- "A historical perspective" --
on 17 November, presenters will include Prof. Martin Breitenfeld (IELCH)
and Prof. Antonio Rehbein from the Catholic Pontifical University of Chile.
During another meeting planned for 24 November, presenters Hon. Anneliese
Meis from the Pontifical Universty and IELCH pastor Stefan Schaller, will
address the subject, "A theological perspective".

Meanwhile, the IELCH has issued a booklet to provide a proper understanding
of the significance of the confirmation of the "Joint Declaration on the
Doctrine of Justification".

Through the confirmation of the "Joint Declaration" by representatives of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Roman Catholic Church on 31
October 1999 in Augsburg, Germany, both parties acknowledge that a
consensus in basic truths regarding the doctrine of justification has been
reached by the Lutherans and the Catholics and the mutual doctrinal
condemnations from the time of the Reformation concerning the doctrine of
justification do not apply to the teaching on justification as set forth in
the "Joint Declaration."

By the act of signing the "Joint Declaration", the Catholics and the
Lutherans confirm their common belief that justification takes place by
God's grace through faith alone. Therefore the Lutherans and Catholics can
together understand the Christian as justified before God and as sinner at
the same time.

What happened in Augsburg last month adds impetus to increasing ecumenical
cooperation in the Latin American country. On May 19 this year, following
two years of intense discussions and theological study, Christian churches
under the auspices of the Fraternidad Ecum‚nica de Chile (Ecumenical
Fraternity of Chile) signed a historical document in which the mutual
acceptance of Baptism is recognized.

The consensus document affirmed during the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity was jointly signed by representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Chile (IELCH); Catholic Church; Orthodox Church, Patriarchate of
Antiochia; Methodist Church of Chile; the Pentecostal Mission Church;
Church Community of the Brethren (Moravian Church), Evangelical Reformed
Church; Evangelical Wesleyan Corporation; Free Pentecostal Churches;
Apostolic Universal Mission Church and Evangelical Corporation of the
Ancient Paths.

Other signatories included the President of the Ecumenical Fraternity of
Chile, Rev. Padre Georges Abed, from the Orthodox Church; and the
Vice-presidents Rev. Padre Alfredo Soiza of the Catholic Church and H‚ctor
Zabala, Suffragan Bishop of the Anglican Church and the Protestant
Evangelical Churches.

This was a major step not only toward the establishment of a sign of unity,
but also a solid base in order to eliminate religious discrimination, which
often also concerns Baptism. This commitment has two principal effects: On
the one hand somebody already baptized in one Christian denomination does
not need to repeat the taking of the sacrament, if, for instance, he/she
would like to get married in another confession. It also eliminates the
obstacles to access to colleges or other institutions of different
denominations.

The congregational leadership and the pastors of the IELCH have received
copies of the document in order to incorporate it in their local ecumenical
dialogues.

Meanwhile reports from the Latin American and Caribbean News Agency (ALC)
say Chile's local daily, El Mercurio published the full text of the "Joint
Declaration" and statements by Kurt Gysel, a bishop of the Lutheran Church
in Chile (ILCH), which is also an LWF member church. The ILCH, Chile's
largest Lutheran church, with 13,700 members, voted in favor of the
declaration initially but did not participate in local ecumenical
celebrations to mark the recent signing in Augsburg. The 3,000-member IELCH
took part in the ceremonies.

According to the ALC, Bishop Gysel, a Swiss theologian, was reported in the
local daily referring to the points he believes were not sufficiently
clarified in the "Joint Declaration", focussing in particular to the
Catholic teaching about purgatory and indulgences that are still in place.

(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. The LWF secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

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