On Sunday 4 June Lutheran Bishop Mark Whitfield and Cardinal John Dew will open a formal dialogue for the two Christian denominations with a combined ecumenical service in Sacred Heart Cathedral to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Year of Reformation.

This is a significant milestone for New Zealand Roman Catholic and Lutheran communities, signaling a commitment to ongoing dialogue.

Cardinal John commented "that this year as we mark this anniversary and remember through prayer with our sisters and brothers of the Lutheran Church it is a pleasure to announce on behalf of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference that we have initiated a formal dialogue with the Lutherans.

Over several years we have had dialogues with the Anglicans, Presbyterians and Methodists, those bi-lateral dialogues are now extended as we officially start working, praying and discussing with the Lutherans as we continue to work towards Christian Unity."

Bishop Mark Whitfield's comments echoed those of the Cardinal.

"I am delighted that we have opportunity in this Reformation Commemoration Year to celebrate our common baptism into Christ and to worship together.

"I also look forward to Roman Catholics and Lutherans working together to seek avenues of practical pastoral cooperation and support, and to explore joint worship and ecumenical hospitality for the sake of strengthening a joint witness to the Gospel in Aotearoa-New Zealand."

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has recently appointed Father Tom Rouse of the St Columban Mission Society to join Father James Lyons, parish priest at Sacred Heart Cathedral on the Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue commission.

The Lutheran Church of New Zealand representatives on the Dialogue will be Pastor Jim Pietsch and Dr Petrus Simons.

The service will take place at 3pm on Sunday, 4 June 2017 in the Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Source

• Supplied
• Image: lcasynod.au/resources.stuff.co.nz/supplied

The visit is to mark the start of observances of next year's 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which traditionally dates from Oct. 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a German cathedral.

On Friday (Oct. 28), the Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica published an interview that Francis — who is also a member of the Jesuit order — gave to a Swedish Jesuit, the Rev. Ulf Jonsson.

In the interview the two discuss a wide range of topics, from relations between Catholics and Protestants to being a minority faith in a secular culture and the "terrorism" of gossip.

Here are excerpts from their exchange:

On his goals for the Sweden trip and relations with Lutherans:

"I can think of only one word to say: to come close. My hope and expectation is that of coming closer to my brothers and sisters. Closeness does all of us good. Distance, on the other hand, makes us bitter. When we are distant, we close within ourselves and we become individual entities, incapable of encountering each other.

"We are held back by fears. We need to learn to transcend ourselves to encounter others. If we do not do this, we Christians, too, become sick because of our divisions. My expectation is that of being able to take a step of closeness, of being closer to my brothers and sisters in Sweden."

On the best means to promote unity among Christians:

"[T]heological dialogue must continue, even if it will not be easy. Personally, I believe that enthusiasm must shift towards common prayer and the works of mercy — work done together to help the sick, the poor, and the imprisoned. To do something together is a high and effective form of dialogue.

I also think about education. It is important to work together and not in a sectarian way. There is a policy we should have clear in every case: to proselytize in the ecclesial field is a sin. Benedict XVI told us that the Church does not grow by proselytism, but by attraction. Proselytism is a sinful attitude. It would be like transforming the Church into an organization.

Speaking, praying, working together: this is the path that we must take. Look, in ecumenism the one who never makes a mistake is the enemy, the devil. When Christians are persecuted and murdered, they are chosen because they are Christians, not because they are Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, Catholics or Orthodox. An ecumenism of blood exists. Continue reading

Sources

• Article by David Gibson in Religion News Service
• Image: Huffington Post

The National Catholic Register reported sources stating that Bishop Samuel Salmi of Oulu in Finland and other Finnish Lutherans indicated to the Catholic priests at the Mass that they wanted a blessing.

They reportedly tried to show they were ineligible to receive by putting their right hands on their left shoulders.

But the priests, who were reportedly aware that the people coming forward were Lutherans, offered them communion anyway.

The bishop said Pope Francis was not at the Mass.

But Bishop Salmi added that the Pope has repeatedly indicated he would like to develop unity between different denominations.

Bishop Salmi told a news agency that Pope Francis has theological enemies in the Vatican and so may be limited in how freely he can speak.

After news reports came out about Lutherans receiving Catholic communion, the Finnish Catholic Church called the incident a mistake and an obstacle to unity.

In November, Pope Francis urged a Lutheran woman married to a Catholic to "talk to the Lord" about receiving Catholic communion.

She should then "go forward" the Pope said, but he cautioned that he "wouldn't ever dare to allow this, because it is not my competence".

The Pope's words were interpreted by Rome's Lutheran community to mean that Lutherans could receive Catholic communion in accordance with their conscience.

But just before Christmas, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said this was not correct.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller told the National Catholic Register that "misunderstandings come up again and again because of a failure to take account of the fact that, unfortunately, there is actually a different understanding of the Church between Catholics and Protestants".

These differences, he said, "are not only theological-conceptual, but of a confessional nature".

He added that the Church continues in its ecumenical goal to reach "visible and institutional unity", with the Pope as head of the Church.

In October, Pope Francis is to participate in a joint ecumenical commemoration in Sweden marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Sources

• National Catholic Register
• Catholic Herald
• National Catholic Reporter
• National Catholic Register
• National Catholic Register
• Vatican Radio
• Image: Crisis Magazine

Pastor Jens Kruse of Rome's Evangelical Lutheran Church told the National Catholic Register that Lutherans has felt this door was closed "for an eternity".

But last month, during a visit to Pastor Kruse's church, Pope Francis urged a Lutheran woman married to a Catholic to "talk to the Lord" about receiving Catholic communion.

She should then "go forward" the Pope said, but he cautioned that he "wouldn't ever dare to allow this, because it is not my competence".

Pastor Kruse said he feels there is "no danger" of a Lutheran receiving the Eucharist "in the wrong way" because he would be "receiving Jesus Christ and not the teachings of the Catholic Church".

He also stated that the Pope had introduced a new approach to the Eucharist, no longer viewing it as the end of ecumenism, but rather a "gift on the way to unity".

The pastor said the problem with intercommunion between Catholics and Lutherans is not different beliefs about the Eucharist.

"The problem is the understanding of priesthood," Pastor Kruse said.

"That creates the differences and the Pope said: ‘No, there's the presence of Jesus Christ, in the Lutheran and the Catholic Eucharist.'"

Pastor Kruse added: "We're both part of the Church of Jesus Christ through our Baptism and we have the same faith. There are no big differences, no obstacle to us to do it [worship] together."

He noted that "Lutherans [already] participate in the Catholic Eucharist and Catholics participate in the Lutheran Eucharist, because for the people, it's just the same.

"And they are right, because in the theology of the Eucharist there are no great differences."

" . . . it's Jesus Christ who invites us to participate, it's not the Catholic or Lutheran Church, and it's not a question of Lutheran dogmas or Catholic dogmas."

The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship recently rejected the idea of wider intercommunion, beyond rare circumstances where baptised non-Catholic Christians can receive Catholic Communion.

Sources

• National Catholic Register
• Catholic Culture
• Aleteia
• Catholic Herald
• Image: Lutheran World

Francis made the remark during a Q&A at a visit to Rome's Evangelical Lutheran church on Sunday.

A Lutheran woman said she is married to a Catholic man and that the current prohibition on Lutherans receiving Communion in the Catholic Church causes them sadness.

The Pope stressed the role of personal discernment.

He said: "There are questions that only if one is sincere with oneself and the little theological light one has, must be responded to on one's own."

Pope Francis said he asked himself: "Is sharing the Lord's Supper the end of a path or is it the viaticum for walking together?"

"It is true that in a certain sense sharing is to say that there are not differences among us, that we have the same doctrine - I underline the word, a word difficult to understand - but I ask myself: Don't we have the same Baptism?" he continued.

"And if we have the same Baptism, we must walk together," he said.

He told the couple: "You are a witness of an even [more]profound path because it is a conjugal path, a path truly of family, of human love, and of shared faith. We have the same Baptism."

Francis referred to a pastor friend of his telling him: "We believe that the Lord is present there. He is present. You believe that the Lord is present. And what is the difference?"

"There are explanations, interpretations," said the Pope.

"Life is bigger than explanations and interpretations. Always make reference to Baptism."

"‘One faith, one baptism, one Lord,' Paul tells us," Francis continued. "From there, grab hold of the consequences."

"I will not ever dare to give permission to do this because it is not my competence," he said.

"One Baptism, one Lord, one faith. Speak with the Lord and go forward. I do not dare to say more."

Church law on the subject is covered in Canon 844.

Sources

• Catholic Herald
• National Catholic Reporter
• Whispers in the Loggia (text of Pope's remarks)
• Code of Canon Law - The Sacraments
• Image: Catholic Herald

If it is also accepted by the Lutheran bishops at their meeting in Lae on 10-14 June 2013, plans may be made to formally launch it in March 2014.

Bishop Bill Fey, the Deputy Bishop for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands says The Catholic Ecumenical and Interreligious Commission has been in existence for many years. There has been ongoing dialogue with the Anglican Church in PNG.

Since 2000 there has also been dialogue with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in PNG. This led to the signing of an agreement on baptism in 2003 between the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in PNG.

Further dialogue meetings with the Anglicans led to an agreed statement on marriage that was signed by bishops of the two Churches. Further meetings with the Lutherans led us to also talk about marriage.

The draft Statement on marriage covers the theology of human sexuality and marriage.

It confirms the traditional Christian stance that:

• The couple must have achieved a mutual consent to live as husband and wife until the death of one or the other.
• Unless there is a special exemption, both Churches require of their members that this act of accepting each other be witnessed by an official minister of the respective Church.
• Married love is only possible between one man and one woman.
• Marriage commitment points to the love of Christ who bound himself in an irrevocable covenant to his Church and that therefore it is meant to be permanent and faithful.

The statement acknowledges that further discussion is required regarding "our understanding of marriage as a divinely instituted means of grace, the morality of contraception, appropriate ways to respond to the HIV-AIDS pandemic, divorce, annulment and remarriage, factors such as consanguinity of a certain degree that invalidate a marriage, required permissions to have a Lutheran/Catholic mixed marriage, as well as the baptism of children of polygamous or broken marriages or of couples living together without marriage."

Source

• The Bishops' Conference of PNG and SI
• The Bishops' Conference of PNG and SI
• Image: Anglican Diocese of Niagara

In the seafarers' meeting last Friday at the company wharf at Voco Point in Lae, Morobe, the chairman of nominees, Titi Christian, said the decision was effective as of Friday.

The company is a business arm of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea.

Benedict had told reporters on his flight to Germany that he sympathised with the thousands who had turned their backs on the Church over the paedophile scandals: "I can understand that in the face of such reports, people, especially those close to victims, would say 'this isn't my Church anymore'," he said

On Friday the he met with victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and expressed regret for their suffering. A Vatican official said after the meeting that the Pope was "moved and deeply shaken by the sufferings of the victims."

Pope Benedict met with representatives of the Lutheran Church. Nikolaus Schneider, the head of the Lutheran Church said he had conveyed the message to the Pope that his flock was not satisfied with current relations with the Vatican. "Our hearts are burning for more and that could be sensed today."

In his farewell address Benedict said that while his visit was particularly aimed at the Catholic communities in Berlin, Erfurt, Eichsfeld and Freiburg. "Here in the land of the Reformation, Christian unity was naturally a high point of my journey. I would mention in particular my meeting with representatives of the Lutheran Church in Germany, which took place in the former Augustinian convent of Erfurt. I am profoundly grateful for our fraternal exchange and common prayer. Significant too were my meetings with Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians, as well with Jews and Muslims."

• Benedict's speech to Lutheran leaders.
• Benedict's address to Muslim leaders
• Muslim Leader's Welcome Speech
• Benedict's address to Jewish Leaders
• Benedicts address to Orthodox Leaders
• Pope says agnostics may be closer to the Kingdom than routine believers