ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 5, 2007  

Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue Begins Work on Round XI Report
07-182-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Participants in the U.S. Lutheran-Roman
Catholic Dialogue in Round XI began the writing process for their
report when they met Oct.
10-14 at St. Paul's College, Washington, D.C.  The meeting was
the fifth of Round XI, in which the participants are discussing
"The Hope of Eternal Life."
     The current dialogue topic, "The Hope of Eternal Life," was
selected in 2004 and involves study of issues related to the
Christian's life beyond death.  Dialogue members are considering
such issues as purgatory, indulgences, and masses and prayers for
the dead.
     Particular sections were assigned to participants with the
goal of preparing an initial draft.  When the dialogue team meets
again in the spring, members will discuss and refine the initial
draft, said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, Lutheran co-chair of the
U.S. dialogue and former secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA).
     "Clearly, the topic of 'Hope of Eternal Life' has many
pastoral dimensions.  I expect the report, when completed, will
be helpful to both members of parishes and pastors," Almen said.
     "In any dialogue this is an exciting moment, filled with
promise, but also requiring care and precision," said the Most
Rev. Richard J. Sklba, Roman Catholic co-chair of the dialogue
and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. "The
excellent scholar members of the dialogue have brought us to this
phase of the dialogue, and I am grateful to each of the
participants."
     The next meeting of the dialogue is here April 3-6, 2008.
The meeting will provide a "clearer sense of the shape of the
report and the specific recommendations which we will present to
our churches at the conclusion of the dialogue," Sklba said.
     "This may yet require an additional two years of mutual
ecumenical collaboration, study and prayer," he added.
     Participants in the October 2007 meeting mourned the loss of
an original member of the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue,
the Rev. George Tavard, A.A., emeritus professor of theology,
Brighton, Mass. Tavard died on Aug. 13 at a Paris airport on his
way back to the United States after visiting his sister in
France.  Tavard was on the planning committee in 1965 for the
first dialogue and had served on each round of the dialogue since
then.
     "His knowledge of the Second Vatican Council was a
significant ingredient in deliberations.  He had the experience
of first-hand acquaintance with the council's deliberations,"
Almen said.
     In addition to theologians from the ELCA and the Roman
Catholic Church, the dialogue includes two participants from the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
     Dialogue participants presented and discussed several
reports and papers in their most recent meeting:
     + Dr. Margaret O'Gara, faculty of theology, University of
St. Michael's College, presented a paper, "Toward Convergence on
the Eucharist Offered for the Dead."
     + Dr. Christian David Washburn, lecturer, systematic
theology, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Drexel Hill, Pa.,
presented, "What is Meant by Prayer for Others (Including the
Dead)."  The Rev. Winston D. Persaud, Wartburg Theological
Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, presented a paper on the same subject
for the Lutherans.
     + Dr. Michael J. Root, ELCA associate in ministry, professor
of systematic theology and dean, Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary, Columbia, S.C., presented a paper on "Merit."  Tavard
was also to have presented on this topic.
     + Almen presented "Lutheran liturgical reflection of the
unity of the church throughout time and eternity."
     + The Rev. Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J., Jesuit community,
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., presented a paper on the
biblical treatment of "Hell."
     + The Rev. John H. P. Reumann, emeritus professor of New
Testament and Greek, Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia, presented a paper on the biblical treatment of
"Heaven."
     + The Rev. Stephen J. Hultgren, assistant professor,
Department of Theology, Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y.,
presented "Justification by Faith and Judgment by Works."
---
     Information regarding the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic
Dialogue is at
http://www.ELCA.org/ecumenical/ecumenicaldialogue/romancatholic/
on the ELCA Web site.


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