Joint celebration for Lutherans and Catholics

Emeritus Archbishop Leonard Faulkner, formerly Archbishop of Adelaide, LCA President Rev’d Dr Michael Semmler, Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson, Bishop Michael Putney & LCA Vice President Rev John Henderson

Emeritus Archbishop Leonard Faulkner, formerly Archbishop of Adelaide, LCA President Rev Dr Michael Semmler, Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson, Bishop Michael Putney & LCA Vice President Rev John Henderson [Picture: Amber Venner]

A celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Lutheran–Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification was held at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, Wakefield St, Adelaide, on Thursday 29 October 2009.

‘We are honoured to be hosting this celebration,’ said Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Rev Philip Wilson, ‘I would like to give our thanks and appreciation to the Lutheran Church of Australia [LCA], and its president, Reverend Semmler, and this dialogue team that is present today.’ Archbishop Wilson is also President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

The Australian dialogue team was made up of Lutheran and Catholic representatives, and was co-chaired by Australian Lutheran College [ALC] lecturer in Church History, Dr Dean Zweck. ALC was also represented by Rev Dr Andrew Pfeiffer and Rev Dr Stephen Haar.

The celebration service was led by LCA President, Rev Dr Michael Semmler, and Archbishop Wilson, with two addresses on key ecumenical questions by Bishop Michael Putney and ALC Principal, Rev John Henderson.

The Official Common Statement was signed at Augsburg, Germany, by dialogue partners from the Lutheran World Federation and the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church on 31 October 1999.

This document was the result of years of ecumenical dialogue, and articulates their common understanding of the doctrine of justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.

In his address, Rev Henderson discussed what the Joint Declaration means for the life of the church, saying, ‘Naturally, there are many critics of this type of international inter-church agreement, but these criticisms recede in significance when we consider the importance of what could be achieved here: not just for the churches, but for the world.

‘It is not a spiritual game we play in churches, but something we do for the world and for Christ. We need to ask the question: Is what keeps us apart more important that what brings us together?

‘This is how we will show the world that God loves everyone, without distinction. As long as Christians show distinctions among themselves, we throw a shadow over the glory of God.’

Bishop Michael Putney began his address by reiterating fundamental beliefs common to both Catholics and Lutherans, saying that, ‘to believe is to enter into His love and faith operates through love. Justification can only occur through faith.’

The signing of the declaration acknowledged that the mutual condemnations pronounced in the 16th century as a result of differences in expressing particularly this doctrine no longer apply.

At this 10th anniversary, the question of how the Declaration impacts the people in the churches is a significant one. Bishop Putney explained that, ‘it has created a new level of communion between Lutherans and Catholics. It created a new foundation for ecumenical relations. Lutherans and Catholics can now look at each other and recognise the same basic tenets of faith.

‘This is a wonderful discovery of shared faith after 400 years of opposing each other. A gift has been given to us that creates a responsibility in us—the Joint Declaration is just words, unless it is followed up by lived experiences.

‘A task that still lies ahead is to form agreements with other churches, including newer denominations, so that we can stand together in our faith.’

On 18 July 2006, members of the World Methodist Council meeting in Seoul, South Korea, voted unanimously to adopt this document as well. This is a critical milestone in interchurch relations and efforts to promote Christian unity will be made easier.

Bishop Putney chairs the Australian Bishops Commission on Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Relations, is interim President of the National Council of Churches in Australia, co-chair of the international Roman Catholic–Methodist Dialogue and a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Rev Henderson is Principal of Australian Lutheran College and has been Vice-President of the Lutheran Church of Australia since 2006. From 2002 until 2008 he was General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia.

Updated: 11/11/2009 [1.00]