ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 27, 2007
Pope Benedict XVI, WCC Congratulate LWF on 60th Anniversary
07-044-LWI*/JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a congratulatory greeting to the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) on its 60th anniversary, Pope
Benedict XVI paid tribute to the "always fruitful" dialogue
between the LWF and the Roman Catholic Church, and the major
progress in ecumenical relations after the Second Vatican
Council.
The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF has
140 member churches in 78 countries throughout the world,
representing nearly 66.7 million Christians.
"Ecumenical fellowship has [grown] all over the world
through numerous encounters between Lutherans and Catholics,"
said the pope in his greeting read to worshippers March 25 at the
LWF 60th anniversary Eucharistic worship service at the Lund
Cathedral, Lund, Sweden.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity, delivered the greeting, which was
addressed to the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, LWF president and presiding
bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The pope expressed his great joy and wishes for blessing at
the celebrations and deliberations around the LWF's 60th
anniversary. He described the relations between the two
communions as "a gift of the Holy Spirit" which at the same time
"commits us not to slacken in our ecumenical endeavors in the
spirit of our Lord's prayer 'that they may all be one'" (John
17:21).
"We are called in common witness to proclaim the saving
message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a world suffering
distress and seeking orientation at so many points," he said.
After all, "we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God"
(Romans 5:2b).
Of the major progress in ecumenical relations made since the
1960s, Pope Benedict singled out the signing of the Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification on Oct. 31, 1999, in
Augsburg, Germany. He noted that the questions currently calling
for further clarification include, above all, the understanding
of the Church, its sacraments and its ministries.
World Council of Churches congratulates LWF
The "strong relationship" between the LWF and the World
Council of Churches (WCC) has been characterized "not only by
mutual accountability and reciprocity on the journey towards
unity, but by the common witness of the member churches in the
service of all humanity" said a message addressed to the LWF.
The WCC congratulated the LWF for "60 years of growth in
communion and witness," and evokes its "tireless efforts" to
foster "a Lutheran identity that is ecumenically committed and
open to sharing generously its gifts of spirit and resources."
The message was delivered March 24 by the Rev. Walter
Altmann, WCC central committee moderator and president,
Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil.
Some 44 Lutheran churches organized at the national level
in as many countries around the world are members of the WCC.
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*This report on Bishop Hanson's remarks to the LWF Council was
supplied by Lutheran World Information, Geneva.
Information about the LWF Council meeting and LWF 60th
anniversary celebration in Lund, Sweden is at
http://www.lutheranworld.org/ on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
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