Washington D.C., Feb 1, 2006 / 22:00 pm
More than 20 Lutheran and Roman Catholic leaders in the United States are set to continue their dialogue toward unity April 20-23 in Phoenix. The leaders had their first meeting of Round XI at the Cenacle Conference and Retreat Center in Washington Dec. 1-4.
Lutheran-Catholic dialogue has been under way for the last 40 years. Its desired goal is "pulpit and altar fellowship, full communion,” and it has seen significant progress.
In 1999, the Lutheran World Federation and the Holy See signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, which indicates an agreement on the basic understanding of the doctrine of justification and declares that certain 16th-century condemnations of each other no longer apply.
The current round of talks, on the theme “The Hope for Eternal Life,” is building on the Joint Declaration and on talks that preceded the signing in 1999. Among the topics taken up were differences between Catholics and Lutherans over the Christian's life beyond death, especially as regards purgatory, indulgences, and masses and prayers for the dead.