PRAYERS FOR UNITY — Susan
Wood, theology professor at St. John's University
in Collegeville, Minn., and a member of the Lutheran-Catholic
dialogue team, reads a prayer petition while Milwaukee
Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, right, and Lutheran
Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers, bishop of the ELCA Greater
Milwaukee Synod listen. A prayer service was held
April 23 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
in Milwaukee as part of the U.S. Lutheran-Catholic
dialogue. (Catholic Herald photo by Sam Lucero)
WAUWATOSA — Results
of the 10th round of dialogue between the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America and the Roman Catholic Church were announced
at Redemption Lutheran Church on Thursday, April 22. Auxiliary
Bishop Richard J. Sklba is the dialogue’s co-chair.
The 10th round, “The Church as Koinonia of Salvation: Its Structures and
Ministries,” began in 1998. Previous rounds included discussions of Mary
and the saints, Eucharist, papal primacy, baptism, teaching authority, Scripture
and tradition, justification by faith, and the Nicene Creed.
“ Koinonia” is an anglicized Greek word variously translated as “fellowship,
partnership, a close mutual relationship, sharing in, contribution, or gift.”
According to John Reumann, a Lutheran member of the dialogue, the ecumenical
movement as it now stands began in the early 20th century. Before reaching out
to other faith traditions, the various Lutheran churches talked among themselves.
But when it came time to start talking to Catholics, “what do you talk
about when you’ve been estranged for centuries?” Reumann asked. His
answer was, “Things you can agree on.” He said recently the dialogues
have been geared toward items which are “church-dividing,” such as
the roles of the presbyterate and episcopacy in each tradition.
