wfn.org | Lutheran-Roman Catholic "Joint Declaration" to be signed 31 Oct.

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Venue: Augsburg, Germany

GENEVA, 11 June 1999 (lwi) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the
Roman Catholic Church will sign the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg in the Federal Republic of
Germany.

This was announced at the Ecumenical Center here today during a joint
press conference by the LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko and
the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,
His Eminence Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy.

Today's announcement is of historic importance not only for the LWF and
the Roman Catholic Church but also for the worldwide ecumenical
movement. In addition, the confirmation of the action of signing is a
milestone not only because it represents the significant fruition of a
30-year process of bilateral theological dialogue between the LWF and
the Roman Catholic Church but because this is the first time ever that a
declaration has been made officially and jointly by the respective
communions.

In the "Official Common Statement" the LWF and the Roman Catholic Church
underscore that a consensus in basic truths regarding the doctrine of
justification has been reached and the mutual doctrinal condemnations
from the time of the Reformation concerning the doctrine of
justification do not apply to the teaching on justification as set forth
in the "Joint Declaration."

In the "Annex" of the Statement, the two dialogue partners confirm their
common belief that justification takes place by God's grace through
faith alone. Therefore the Lutherans and Catholics can together
understand the Christian as justified before God and as sinner at the
same time. These are the two documents which will be used in the action
of signing the "Joint Declaration".

The doctrine of justification is a measure or touchstone for the
Christian faith. Both partners in dialogue are committed to continued
and deepened study of the biblical foundations of the doctrine of
justification with the aim to reach full church communion, a unity in
diversity, in which remaining differences would be reconciled and no
longer have a divisive force.

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/