Title: ELCA Presiding Bishop Meets Archbishop of Canterbury
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 31, 2003
ELCA PRESIDING BISHOP MEETS ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
03-068-JB
LONDON, England (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding
bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), expressed
hope that the ELCA may one day enter into full communion with Anglican
churches with whom other Lutheran churches are in full communion.
Hanson made the comment to the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, archbishop of
Canterbury, and other Anglican and ELCA leaders in a luncheon address
here March 28.
Hanson and 18 other ELCA leaders, bishops, Church Council members,
pastors, staff and members met here with Church of England, Anglican
Communion and Lutheran leaders. The ELCA group is traveling with Hanson
as he meets international church leaders in Europe during a 17-day
"ecumenical journey."
Williams, 52, became Archbishop of Canterbury when he was elevated
to the role in a ceremonial worship service known as "enthronement,"
Feb. 27 at Canterbury Cathedral. He succeeded the Most Rev. George L.
Carey, who served as archbishop for 12 years.
Anglicans, through the Church of England, have entered into
several ecumenical agreements with Lutheran churches, including the 1991
Meissen Declaration with Lutheran churches in Germany; the 1992 Porvoo
Declaration, involving several Lutheran churches in Scandinavia and
Baltic regions; and the 1999 Reuilly Declaration with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of France.
Anglicans and Lutherans in Canada entered into an ecumenical
agreement, the Waterloo Declaration, in 2001.
In the United States, the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted a full
communion agreement with the Episcopal Church, a member of the Anglican
Communion. The agreement, known as "Called to Common Mission (CCM),"
was adopted one year later by the Episcopal Church convention. CCM
encouraged the churches to engage in a variety of shared ministries,
including the possibility of exchange of clergy under certain
circumstances.
In his address, Hanson said he made the trip to greet Williams
personally as he begins his new role. He expressed the concern of
Lutherans in North America that all who believe in Jesus Christ "be
empowered by the Holy Spirit to seek healing of the divisions within the
Church."
The ELCA is an ecumenical church, Hanson said. He pointed to the
church's 1991 statement on ecumenism that said the church "understands
itself and engages in God's mission as a church that is evangelical,
that is catholic, and that is ecumenical," Hanson said, quoting from the
statement.
"Our agreement with the Episcopal Church has led to our bishops being
installed into the historic succession of bishops, and as a result we
are finding new and exciting ways of doing mission together," Hanson
said.
The churches are involved in a time of "reception," in which
members of both churches are becoming acquainted and building ministries
together.
"We are seeing in this time of reception the great manifestations
not only of witness that comes by those agreements, but by enhancing
God's work in the world," Hanson said. "We are delighted with that, and
continue to commit ourselves to that time of reception."
"Our relations as an Anglican communion with Lutherans worldwide
are now very, very, very rich, and very rewarding," Williams said at the
luncheon. He said it was "a joy" that both churches are moving forward
in conversations "which, in some ways, history interrupted earlier in
the centuries of our existence as churches."
Williams said Lutherans worldwide have been involved with one of
the most "testing and creative theological dialogues," with the Roman
Catholic Church on the subject of justification. The Lutheran World
Federation, of which the ELCA is a member, and The Vatican reached a
common understanding on the issue with the signing of the Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999.
Hanson thanked Williams and the staffs of the Anglican Communion
and the Church of England for welcoming the ELCA leaders and said the
ELCA "has great admiration for your leadership." He presented Williams
with a framed mosaic of the ELCA emblem.
"It's an enormous pleasure to have the delegation here, because I
think that our relation as Anglicans and Lutherans across the world is
developing very, very rapidly," Williams said in an interview. "We have
a common history [and] we have common origins."
"I'm delighted at all the progress made in the United States, with
the Baltic and Nordic churches and with the German churches, in
understanding between our two traditions," he said. "I welcome this very
deeply."
The most important way Lutherans and Anglicans can grow in
fellowship is prayer, he said. "I think if we can put together occasions
in which Anglicans and Lutherans can share in retreats and reflection in
silence together, that is bound to deepen things," Williams said. "I
think, too, if we can go on working on our sense of how the Lord's
Supper, the Eucharist (Holy Communion), is at the heart of all we do,
then we shall understand what we're about as churches."
Engaging in theological discussions about communion "is one of the
most exciting things Christians can do," he added.
HANSON, WILLIAMS COMMENT ON WAR WITH IRAQ
"Our hearts are heavy laden as the world again experiences the
tragedy of war," Hanson said of the war that has pitted a coalition led
by U.S. and British military forces against the Iraqi military.
"I am personally delighted with your stance opposing war in Iraq,
a conviction on that issue that parallels mine," Hanson said in his
remarks to Williams. "I am grateful that so early in your ministry you
were willing to speak with such clarity and boldness."
The ELCA's resolve to work for peace remains strong and prayers
for peace are "fervent," Hanson said. "May the deepening of our unity
in Christ reflect our commitment to God's will for peace for the whole
creation."
Noting that this time in global history is "shadowed and
overclouded," Williams said, "It's also important for us to know how in
prayer and thought we stand together against those things which most
deeply threaten our global future." As Christians prepare for Easter,
Williams said, "It's good to remember what gospel it is that we have to
proclaim under a night sky."
"My main concern is that whatever comes on the far side of this
war is something which is fully, internationally owned, which honors
international law," Williams said. "I think some of the most pressing
work we have to do in the near future is something which has to do with
international law, the restoration of the credibility of some of those
international institutions."
It's important that the reconstruction of Iraq be "owned" by as
many countries as possible. He warned of the danger of "a new imperial
situation," or the perception of such a situation.
"My main hope is that we will look with quite critical eyes at
some of the gaps in the international system that have led us where we
are, and be able to mend those in the future," he added.
Williams presented Hanson with a recent Anglican anthology on the
"quest for holiness," edited by three Anglican bishops.
-- -- --
The Department for Ecumenical Affairs has its home page at
http://www.elca.org/ea on the ELCA Web site. The text of Called to
Common Mission is available at
http://www.elca.org/ea/Relationships/episcopalian/ccmresources/text.html
on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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