October 29, 2010

CHICAGO – Members of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue in the United States approved by unanimous consent the current round's final report on "The Hope of Eternal Life," a 65-page report summarizing the dialogue's four-and-a-half-year study.

It explores issues related to the Christian's life beyond death, such as the communion of saints, resurrection of the dead and final judgment, as well as historically divisive issues such as purgatory, indulgences and prayers for the dead, according to a news release from the dialogue.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sponsored this 11th round of talks. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod was invited to participate. Two representatives from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod took part in the dialogue, however, only the ELCA gave approval to the final report from the Lutheran side, the release said.

This most recent round of dialogue began in December 2005, but Roman Catholics and Lutherans have been in formal dialogue in the United States since 1965. The choice of the topic emerged from principles of life-after-death developed in the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, which the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church signed Oct. 31, 1999, in Augsburg, Germany.

This investigation "has resulted in another substantial contribution to the ecumenical endeavors of the participating churches," said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, Lutheran co-chair of the dialogue and retired ELCA secretary.

The report was finalized at the dialogue's meeting October 13-17 at St. Paul's College in Washington. It will be made public Nov. 15, when it is presented to the Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the release said.

As reflected in the forthcoming report, the churches in the dialogue declared together, "Life does not end in death. God in Christ offers everyone the hope of eternal life." At the same time, representatives of the participating churches acknowledged the possibility of eternal loss by those who refuse God's mercy, in spite of God's desire for the salvation of all. As one of the agreements declares, "We can entrust the judgment of our lives to the one who died for our trespasses and rose for our justification."

"The careful precision brought to this past meeting of the dialogue by the members, and their knowledge of history, have been a great blessing for all of us," said Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba of Milwaukee, Roman Catholic co-chair of the dialogue. "Simply tracing the unfolding practices which have marked our respective Lutheran or Catholic prayers on the occasion of the death of a believer brought light to our conversation."

Two of the dialogue's original members died during the dialogue's current round. Assumptionist Father George Tavard, an advisor to the Vatican II ecumenical council, died Aug. 13, 2007, and Dr. John H. P. Reumann, a well-known Lutheran New Testament scholar, died June 6, 2008. Each served continuously on the dialogue since 1965 and made important contributions to all of the dialogue's 10 agreed statements, the release said. They also offered early contributions to the final text of this 11th round.

The report was written to provide a resource for study by pastors as well as lay members since the topic holds deeply personal and pastoral dimensions for all members of the participating churches, the release said.

Other ELCA dialogue participants included the Rev. Winston D. Persaud, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa; the Rev. Cheryl M. Peterson, assistant professor of systematic theology, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio; Dr. Michael J. Root, professor of systematic theology, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.; the Rev. Stephen J. Hultgren, assistant professor, Department of Theology, Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y.; the Rev. Theodore W. Asta, associate to the bishop (ecumenism and administration), ELCA New England Synod; the Rev. Marcus J. Miller, president, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary; the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, ELCA executive for ecumenical and inter-religious relations, and the Rev. Paul A. Schreck, dialogue staff.

Additional Roman Catholic participants in the dialogue included Dr. Margaret O'Gara, University of St. Michael's College, Toronto; Jesuit Father Joseph Fitzmyer, professor emeritus, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.; Christian Brother Jeffrey Gros, Memphis Theological Seminary, Memphis, Tenn.; Father James Massa, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops staff; Dr. Christian David Washburn, Saint Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; Jesuit Father Jared Wicks, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio; and Sister Susan Wood, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, Marquette University, Milwaukee.

Information about the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue is at http://www.ELCA.org/ecumenical/romancatholic/, on the ELCA Web site.

ELCA News Service
Information for this report was prepared by the Rev. Paul A. Schreck.