The 2 - Catholic Witness • 27, 2017

Day of Dialogue Examines Dialoguing on Affirmations of Unity between Catholic, the Lutheran, Anglican Traditions By Father James Lease Special to The Witness By Jen Reed The Catholic Witness , 2017, marks the 500th anniver- sary of ’s posting of the 95 The- In commemoration of the 500th ses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation. anniversary of the Reformation, the One question that I’ve gotten recently is, “Why annual Lutheran-Anglican-Roman should Catholics be interested in this anniver- Catholic (LARC) Day of Dialogue sary?” focused on affirmations of unity Well, the Reformation had a profound effect between the three Christian tradi- on Christian civilization and was a pivotal time tions, through examinations of two in Christian history. Therefore, the events sur- specific documents on Catholic- rounding the Reformation are important mat- Lutheran dialogue. ters of study for any student of Western culture. “Approaching any kind of con- They are especially important for any Catholic who wishes to understand the Church’s history. versation or dialogue from a per- 2017 also marks 50 years of Lutheran-Catho- spective of what unites us instead lic dialogue; over the past several decades, we of what divides us offers a positive have come to greater understanding and agree- step in relationships,” noted Bishop ment with Christians of the Lutheran tradition. Emeritus Donald McCoid, the With that in mind, in 2013 the Pontifical keynote presenter for the Day of Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Dialogue, held Oct. 23 at the Cardi- World Lutheran Federation jointly published a nal Keeler Center in Harrisburg. document entitled “From Conflict to Commu- The annual LARC Day is one of CHRIS HEISEY, THE CATHOLIC WITNESS nion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemo- several gatherings and activities Area bishops lead a panel discussion. From left are Bishop Ronald Gainer ration of the Reformation in 2017,” which gave resulting from a 1993 Covenant of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg; Bishop James Dunlop of a vision for observing this landmark anniver- among the Episcopal Diocese of the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in sary. It stated that, “In 2017, Catholic and Lu- Central Pennsylvania, the Lower America; Bishop Barbara Collins of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the theran Christians will most fittingly look back Susquehanna Synod of the Evan- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Bishop Audrey Scanlan of on events that occurred 500 years earlier by gelical Lutheran the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. putting the gospel of Jesus Christ at the center.” Church in Amer- view with The the present world is destined for Whereas past centenaries of the Reformation ica, the Roman Catholic Witness, transformation. have been marked by mutual polemics, this an- niversary calls both Lutherans and Catholics to Catholic Diocese pointed out that The “Declaration on the Way” il- take an honest look at history, to meet in chari- of Harrisburg and these Ecumeni- lustrates in tangible ways “the work the Upper Susque- table dialogue, and to work together to move cal Imperatives that was done in dialogue over the from Conflict to Communion. hanna Synod of were lifted up by past 50 years,” Bishop McCoid the Evangelical As Director for the Diocesan Office of Ecu- and said. “The 32 statements of agree- menical and Interreligious Affairs, I invite you Lutheran Church Bishop Munib ment are like a litany lifted up to in America. to read “From Conflict to Communion,” to Younan, President God of things that we can agree on brush up on Church history, and to participate In his presenta- of the Lutheran together…. It shows that we are so in friendly dialogue about the Reformation. tions, Bishop Mc- World Federation, close in our understanding of unity Myself, I’ve been brushing up on Martin Lu- Coid, who served on Oct. 31 of last in three very important areas of life ther and discussing the Reformation with vari- as the Executive year in signing a as a church.” ous Lutherans, and it’s been intriguing. for Ecumenical joint statement in “This is not to say that there are In the Diocese of Harrisburg, there are many and Inter-Religious which Catholics not significant differences, but the opportunities for dialogue. We sponsor bi- Relations of and Lutherans important thing is that there are monthly Lutheran-Anglican-Roman Catholic the Evangelical Bishop Emeritus Donald McCoid, pledged to pursue agreements we can lift up and cel- (LARC) Dialogue Lunches, an annual LARC Lutheran Church Executive for Ecumenical and their dialogue in ebrate,” he said. Vespers, and an annual LARC Day of Dialogue, in America from Inter-Religious Relations of the order to remove Bishop McCoid remarked that as in addition to the many wonderful avenues for 2007-2016, Evangelical Lutheran Church in the remaining ob- the churches continue to work to- dialogue and collaboration at the parish level. examined the America from 2007-2016, offers stacles that hinder ward full Christian unity, they can You might also read the “Joint Declaration five Ecumenical a presentation during the annual them from reach- continue to reflect and build upon on the Doctrine of Justification” (1999) and the Imperatives in the LARC Day of Dialogue Oct. 23 ing full unity. the documents “From Conflict to recently published “Declaration on the Way,” 2013 document, at the Cardinal Keeler Center in The 2015 Communion” and the “Declaration which summarizes Lutheran-Catholic dialogue Harrisburg. “From Conflict to “Declaration on on the Way,” and most notably the of the last several decades. May we all put the Communion,” au- the Way: Church, “Joint Declaration on the Docu- Gospel of Jesus Christ at the center of our dia- thored by the Pontifical Council for Ministry and Eucharist,” a docu- ment of Justification,” signed in logue, so that, as St. Paul writes, there be no Promoting Christian Unity and the ment which summarizes 50 years 1999 by the Pontifical Council for divisions among you, but that you be united in Lutheran World Federation regard- of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue as Promoting Christian Unity and the the same mind and in the same purpose. [I Cor- inthians 1:10, NAB] ing the common commemoration the churches continue to work to- Lutheran World Federation stating of the Reformation: that the churches share “a common (Father Lease is Director of the Diocesan ward full Christian unity, was also Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious- Af • Catholics and Lutherans should understanding of our justification examined during the LARC Day of fairs, as well as the pastor of St. Joseph Parish, always begin from the perspective by God’s grace through faith in Dialogue. Danville.) of unity and not from the point Bishop McCoid played a key Christ,” resolving the 500-year-old of view of division in order to role in preparing that document, conflict over the nature of justifica- strengthen what is held in common created by a joint task force of tion which was at the root of the Links to the even though the differences are the Conference of Reformation. more easily seen and experienced. Catholic Bishops’ Committee on The Documents Online • Lutherans and Catholics must Ecumenical and Interreligious Af- and the World Alliance of Re- let themselves continuously be fairs and the Evangelical Lutheran formed Churches have also signed Joint Declaration on the transformed by the encounter with Church in America. this document. On Oct. 31 of this Doctrine of Justification: the other and by the mutual witness The document highlights 32 year, the Lutheran World Federa- http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ of faith. points of consensus between the tion, the World Methodist Council pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/ • Catholics and Lutherans should Catholic and Lutherans churches and the Reformed communion will rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_ again commit themselves to seek in the areas of church, ministry and be present with the Archbishop of cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html Canterbury to affirm the joint dec- visible unity, to elaborate together the Eucharist. Among them: laration, Bishop McCoid pointed what this means in concrete steps, • Catholics and Lutherans agree From Conflict to Communion: out. and to strive repeatedly toward this https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/ that the church on earth has been “We are at a moment where goal. assembled by the triune God. resource-conflict-communion-basis- we’ve never been regarding Chris- lutheran-catholic-commemoration- • Lutherans and Catholics should • Catholics and Lutherans affirm tian unity,” Bishop McCoid said. “I reformation-2017 jointly rediscover the power of the that ordained ministry is of divine think that the next steps are certain- gospel of Jesus Christ for our time. origin and necessary for the being ly theological, which will look at Declaration on The Way: • Catholics and Lutherans should of the church. the continued understanding of who http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and- witness together to the mercy of • Catholics and Lutherans agree we are as the baptized children of teachings/ecumenical-and-interreligious/ God in proclamation and service to that Eucharistic Communion is a God, and at the opportunities that ecumenical/lutheran/upload/Declaration_ the world. pledge that our life in Christ will come with our understanding of on_the_Way-for-Website.pdf Bishop McCoid, in an inter- be eternal, our bodies will rise, and what we should be doing together.”