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Roman Catholics and Lutherans, in committing to forging ahead as pilgrims together, are significantly contributing to the wider ecumenical movement, acknowledged the World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee last week at its meeting in China.
With celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation underway, the WCC Executive Committee recognized a commitment signed by Pope Francis and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) president Bishop Dr Munib Younan, a commitment and common way expressed in the publication “From Conflict to Communion.”
The WCC Executive Eommittee noted that the commemoration was prepared and pursued in the spirit of being pilgrims together, wrote the executive committee in a letter to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the LWF. “Recognizing accountability for the divisions of the past, and mutual sharing of the gifts of the Gospel now, were done with a sense of humility and commitment to follow Jesus Christ together.”
The churches’ openness to one another and to how God is leading them to new expressions of unity are signs of hope for the churches and for the world, wrote the WCC Executive Committee, which invited all churches to join in a pilgrimage of justice and peace.
“We find that the common prayer and commitment to the communion that you already share, is a visible expression of how this pilgrimage finds new forms and meaning.”
The WCC Executive Committee also acknowledged that there is still a need for renewing the challenges of the Reformation in the present time. “There are so many examples of the imperative to address human sinfulness in an accountable way, and to search for real repentance from greed, from violence and from actions of injustice,” reads the letter. “Inspired and empowered by the justice and peace of God, we continue our ecumenical pilgrimage together.”
WCC leadership letter to Cardinal Koch, Bishop Munib Younan and Rev. Martin Junge
WCC executive committee issues statement on climate justice (WCC press release of 25 November 2016)
WCC executive committee meets with China Christian Council, Three-Self Patriotic Movement (WCC press release of 25 November 2016)
“More unites us than divides us,” say Catholics, Lutherans at Reformation commemoration (WCC press release of 1 November 2016)
