wfn.org | LWF general secretary on Pope's 80th birthday

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Noko recalls devotion of Pope John Paul II to Jubilee Year, ecumenism

GENEVA, 17 May 2000 (lwi) - On the celebration of the 80th birthday of
Pope John Paul II, which will be marked on 18 May 2000, the general
secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Dr. Ishmael Noko, has
commended the pontiff for the devotion with which he has guided the
Roman Catholic Church in celebrating the various events and elements of
the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

In a statement here on 17 May, Noko expressed joy in conveying
"heartfelt good wishes" to the Pope and referring to Luke 4: 18-19,
prayed that God may strengthen and guide the head of the Roman Catholic
Church "in his continued service, in the spirit which unites us as
witnessed to in the Jubilee message of Christ Himself."

Noko pointed out that it is with good reason that John Paul II has been
called the Millennium Pope, and cited the pontiff's personal interest in
the development of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification  -  which was signed by the LWF and the Catholic Church on
31 October 1999 in Augsburg, Germany.

In his goodwill message to the Pope, Noko described the pontiff's own
involvement in the development of that significant ecumenical agreement
as a reflection of the "undivided commitment of John Paul II to the
cause of reconciliation between churches as well as between other
divisions" of humankind.

Noko mentioned ecumenical celebrations that have been marked in the
Jubilee Year 2000. He particularly referred to the 18 January opening of
the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, at which
the LWF was represented by its president, Bishop Dr. Christian Krause.

More recently on 7 May, the general secretary himself was at the head of
a delegation from the Federation, which witnessed the Ecumenical
Commemoration of Witnesses of Faith in the 20th Century -- at which the
Pope recalled the example of men and women who gave their life for
Christ during this century. One of the martyrs he mentioned was a German
Lutheran Pastor Paul Schneider, who died in 1939 in the Buchenwald
concentration camp.

Below is the full text of Dr. Noko's statement:

On the occasion of the 80th birthday of His Holiness Pope John Paul II

Statement by Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko,
General Secretary, The Lutheran World Federation

The celebration of the 80th birthday of His Holiness Pope John Paul II
takes place in the full springtime of the Jubilee Year 2000 -- a year to
which the Roman Catholic Church, guided by this Pope himself, has
devoted so much of its attention and spiritual energy.

With obviously good reason, John Paul II has been called the Millennium
Pope. For many years his thoughts and aspirations have concentrated on
the various events scheduled to mark this very special year and express
its meaning.

Two events stand out as having been celebrated ecumenically:

On 18 January the opening of the holy door took place in St
Paul-Outside-the-Walls, marking the beginning of the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity. On this occasion, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
was represented by its President, Bishop Dr. Christian Krause.

On 7 May a moving Ecumenical Commemoration of Witnesses of Faith in the
20th Century took place by the Coliseum in Rome. On that occasion I had
the privilege of taking part, leading a delegation from the LWF.

Between these two events another event will be remembered ecumenically,
although it did not as such involve ecumenical participation - On 12
March a Day of Pardon was celebrated with a focus on Memory and
Reconciliation:The Church and the faults of the past. During the mass in
the Basilica of St Peter the Pope prayed the Universal Prayer:

Lord God,
your pilgrim Church,
which you ever sanctify in the blood of your Son,
counts among her children in every age
members whose holiness shines brightly forth
and members whose disobedience to you
contradicts the faith we profess and the Holy Gospel.
You, who remain ever faithful,
even when we are unfaithful,
forgive our sins
and grant that we may bear true witness to you
before all men and women.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

The various events and elements of the Jubilee Year have been assessed
in different ways. Regardless of these different evaluations I find
myself among those encouraged by the sincerity of the Pope as he carries
out his high spiritual calling the way we see and understand it in this
special year.

One of the events which preceded our entry into the Year 2000 was the
solemn signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
by the Catholic Church and the LWF on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg,
Germany. The personal interest of the Pope in the development of that
significant ecumenical agreement is well known. It reflects the
undivided commitment of Pope John Paul II to the cause of reconciliation
between the churches as well as between other divisions of mankind. For
Christians, that reconciliation has no deeper source than the grace of
God, granted to us in Jesus Christ.

Much of the core content of the Joint Declaration is expressed in the
prayer already cited from the liturgy of the Day of Pardon: "You, who
remain ever faithful, even when we are unfaithful, forgive our sins and
grant that we may bear true witness to you." This prayer must always be
also at the core of the ecumenical movement.

On the occasion of his 80th birthday it is a joy for me to express my
heartfelt, good wishes to Pope John Paul II. May God strengthen him and
guide him in his continued service, in the Spirit which unites us as
witnessed to in the Jubilee message of Christ Himself:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
(Luke 4:18-19  - NRSV)

_______________
17 May 2000

(The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries
representing nearly 59.5 million of the world's 63.1 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 by 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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