wfn.org | (LWF) Spiritual Ecumenism Remedy for Ailing World

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 15

Spiritual Ecumenism Remedy for Ailing World
Cardinal Kasper: Spiritual Unity Promotes Reconciliation

WINNIPEG, Canada, 24 July * Spiritual ecumenism is the answer to healing the
wounds of the world, the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity (PCPCU) Walter Cardinal Kasper, told participants in the
Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

In his official greeting to the assembly being held here, Kasper asserted
that "without spirituality, the ecumenical movement becomes merely an
academic affair, where "normal" Christians cannot follow, where they feel
excluded and finally frustrated; or it becomes a soulless activism, the
business of an endless series of conferences, symposiums, gatherings,
meetings and ever new documents which nobody can read."

He underscored the need for spirituality of unity and communion, which
culminate into a spirituality of prayer, forgiveness, reconciliation and
mutual acceptance of each other.

Citing the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed between
the LWF and Roman Catholic Church in Augsburg, Germany, 1999, the PCPCU
president said this unity was necessary to heal the world's wounds of
suffering, as expressed in the LWF Tenth Assembly theme, "For the Healing of
the World."

"The Joint Declaration must not remain a dead letter and must not become the
secret of specialists and experts; it must come to life in our respective
communities and overall, in our hearts," he noted.

Kasper reiterated that as the delegates gathered under the theme, it was
time to look frward and map out final directions and goals for the LWF Tenth
assembly. He said the theme had set answers as to where the organization was
headed; toward promoting healing from scars of injustice, war and terrorism,
divisions, lack of truth and confidence, loneliness and hopelessness.

"To all these bleeding wounds, the Christians' answer is nothing other than
the message of justification," he added.

He observed that the cooperation between Lutherans and Roman Catholics was
evidence of growing in communion and healing division, giving way to the
spirit of reconciliation.

He was addressing over 800 delegates to the assembly, among them observers
from ecumenical partnerships and members of the press.

The Assembly, held every six years, commenced on July 21, and closes on July
31. The last one took place in 1997 in Hong Kong, China, the first ever in
Asia and focused on the theme "In Christ Called to Witness."

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place
21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme "For the Healing of the
World." It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC).

There are almost 800 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly
including 369 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three
associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the
LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is
governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the
Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org 

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo@lutheranworld.org 

*	*	*

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member
churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million
Lutherans worldwide. 

The LWF acts on behalf of its member hurches in areas of common interest
such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission
and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.