September 22, 2005

BARI, Italy/GENEVA – From September 23-29, members of the Lutheran – Roman Catholic Commission on Unity will gather in Bari, Italy, for the last meeting of the present phase of the international Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue. "The Apostolicity of the Church" is the topic of the current phase.

Hosted by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), the commission members will discuss a comprehensive draft report on the current phase, after which a final editorial process will be put in place, with the aim to making the document ready for publication in 2006.

The dialogue, which began in 1967, is conducted by the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity under the auspices of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the PCPCU. Meetings of the full commission have been held annually since 1996, to discuss texts provided by drafters selected from both sides.

Since this is the last meeting in the present phase of the dialogue, PCPCU President, Walter Cardinal Kasper and LWF General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko will visit the commission together to thank its members for their contribution toward the report on an important ecumenical topic.

Published reports of the international Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue include The Eucharist (1978); Ways to Community (1980); The Ministry in the Church (1981); Facing Unity (1984); and Church and Justification (1994).

Lutheran World Information