April 7, 2005

GENEVA – The General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, will represent the LWF at the funeral of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on Friday, April 8.

Pope John Paul II died on April 2 at the age of 84. Following a funeral mass at St Peter's Basilica on Friday morning, the pope's remains will be buried in a crypt under the basilica. Noko is among representatives of different Christian confessions and other religions who have been invited for the funeral.

Speaking to Lutheran World Information (LWI) prior to his departure for Rome, Noko said the LWF's presence at the pope's funeral was significant in view of Lutherans' and Roman Catholics' "shared journey of faith," specifically in the context of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ).

He cited Pope John Paul II's commitment to the international dialogue process that led to the JDDJ signing in October 1999. "We will always remember him as the pope who fostered an unprecedented growth in Lutheran-Roman Catholic relations," Noko said, echoing a statement by the LWF President, Bishop Mark S. Hanson, upon the pope's death. Hanson is Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Signed in Augsburg, Germany, in the context of an international and regional dialogue process spanning over 30 years, the JDDJ affirms agreement in basic truths with regard to the biblical doctrine of justification, which was a central subject of dispute at the time of the 16th century Reformation.

"Pope John Paul II leaves behind a challenge to his successor with regard to the unfinished ecumenical agenda. For us Lutherans, moving toward full communion between the two partners remains the essential goal. We need to think of a possible joint declaration with regard to the ministry and the Eucharist. Unless this happens, the JDDJ will remain a theoretical matter that has no significant impact on the lives of Lutherans and Roman Catholics," the LWF General Secretary said.

"I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinals in their search for a spiritual leader, who has compassion, is dedicated to the unity of the Church, and is impassioned about a transformation of the human race into a human family," Noko concluded.

Lutheran World Information