Lutheran Heads Hold First Meeting with Pope
Top members from the Lutheran World Federation will hold their first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Monday, Nov. 7, to discuss recent developments in ecumenism and Christian unity.
Top members from the Lutheran World Federation will hold their first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Monday to discuss recent developments in ecumenism and Christian unity.
“Relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the LWF have come to be open and trusting,” Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the 66-million-member fellowship, said in regards to the upcoming visit. “Pope Benedict XVI has emphasized that service to the unity of the whole Christian church will be a high priority during his pontificate.”
Ecumenical relations between the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Church traditions improved significantly since the historic Second Vatican Council convened in 1962. Vatican II marked the first time an international Catholic council invited “protestant heretics” as guests and observers, and is closely linked with the establishment of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
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The first official Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity meeting began in 1967 with a series of dialogues surrounding the theme, The Gospel and the Church. Since then, the two churches produced several joint reports on critical issues such as the ministry of the church, the Eucharist and justification. The last Lutheran-Catholic dialogue “phase” ended on September 2005 with a report due in 2006.
Monday’s meeting with the Pope is part of a larger annual staff meeting between the LWF and the PCPCU. The joint meeting is slated for Nov. 7-8, and the “audience with the pope will be the highpoint in connection,” according to an LWF press release.
“The LWF is looking forward to making substantial contributions to this ecumenical vision,” said Noko.
The staff will also discuss the theme and timing of the next “phase” of dialogues between the two churches at the meeting.
