Δημοσιεύση: Φως Φαναρίου
16th Session of the International Joint Commission on the Theological Dialogue
between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation
Rhodes, Greece, 28 April – 5 May 2015
COMMUNIQUE
The 16th Plenary of the International Joint Commission on the
Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World
Federation was held in the Apostolic island of Rhodes, Greece (28 April -
5 May), hosted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate under the auspices of His
Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes.
A message with blessings and prayers
was received during the Meeting from His All Holiness the Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew.
The meeting was chaired by the two co-presidents, from the Orthodox side
by H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr. Gennadios of Sassima (Ecumenical
Patriarchate), and from the Lutheran World Federation side by Bishop
(em.) Prof. Dr. Christoph Klein (Evangelical Church of Augsburg
Confession in Romania).
Orthodox participants were delegates from the following Churches: H. E.
Metropolitan Prof. Dr. Gennadios of Sassima and V. Rev. Second
Patriarchal Deacon Dr. Theodoros Meimaris (co-secretary, Ecumenical
Patriarchate), H. E. Metropolitan Dr. Makarios of Kenya and
Εirinoupolis (Patriarchate of Alexandria), V. Rev. Alexi Chehadeh
(Patriarchate of Antioch), V. Rev. Protopresbyter Prof. Dr. George Dion
Dragas (Patriarchate of Jerusalem), V. Rev. Dr. Valentin Vassechko
(Patriarchate of Moscow), Dr. Rade Kisić (Patriarchate of Serbia), Rev.
Prof. Dr. Viorel Ionita (Patriarchate of Romania), V. Rev.
Protopresbyter Prof. Dr. Georgios Zviadadze (Patriarchate of Georgia),
H. E. Metropolitan Dr. Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini (Church of Cyprus),
Prof. Dr. Christos Voulgaris (Church of Greece), V. Rev. Andrzej Minko
(Church of Poland), Mr. Nathan Hoppe (Church of Albania), and
Consultants: Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Delikostantis (Ecumenical
Patriarchate), Rev. Dr. Cosmin Pricop (Patriarchate of Romania) and V.
Rev. Stefanos Chrysanthou (Church of Cyprus).
The following Lutheran participants were representing various member
churches of the Lutheran World Federation: Bishop Prof. Dr. Christoph
Klein (Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania), Prof.
Dr. Kenneth G. Appold (ELCA, USA), Rev. Dr. Stephanie Dietrich (Church
of Norway), Rev. Prof. Dr. Hermann Pitters (Evangelical Church of the
Augsburg Confession in Romania), Superintendent Klaus Schwarz
(Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wurttemberg, Germany), Rev. Dr. Jeffrey
Silcock (Lutheran Church of Australia), Rev. Dr. Jennifer Wasmuth
(Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hannover, Germany), Rev. Prof. Dr. Risto
Saarinen (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland), Rev. Prof. Dr. Sarah
Hinlicky Wilson (Institute for Ecumenical Research, France, Consultant)
and Rev. Dr. Kaisamari Hintikka (LWF, co-secretary).
Contacts between the Ecumenical
Patriarch Jeremias II (Tranos) and Lutheran professors of the University
of Tübingen, Germany, began in Europe at the time of the Reformation in
the 16th century. Thus, the dialogue has historical
precedent. The present official conversations between the Orthodox
Church and the Lutheran World Federation began in 1981 in Espoo,
Finland, after three years of preparatory meetings.
The Joint Commission, in its 15th Plenary Meeting in Wittenberg,
Germany, in June 2011, launched the theme: ‘’The Mystery of the Church:
F. Ordained Ministry/Priesthood’’. Meanwhile, the Commission held three
preparatory meetings to study and consider specifically: 1. “The
Understanding of Ministry/Priesthood in the Light of Holy Scripture and
the Early Church” (London, United Kingdom, May 5-10, 2012), 2. a) ‘‘The
Lutheran understanding of Ministry/Priesthood during the period of the
Reformation’’, and b) ‘‘Apostolic Succession and Ordination from a
historical, patristic and canonical point of view’’ (Sibiu, Romania, May
24-28, 2013), and 3. a) ‘‘Liturgical Texts on rites of ordination in
Orthodox and in Lutheran traditions’’, and b) ‘‘The Lutheran
understanding of the ordination of women to the priesthood, and the
Orthodox understanding of the role and the place of women in the Church
and the question of the ordination of women’’ (Tallinn, Estonia, May
8-13, 2014).
The Commission studied papers and reports from the Preparatory Meetings
of London, Sibiu and Tallinn, as well as new papers from both sides with
commentaries on the above-mentioned Draft Statements. Intensive
discussions revealed the need for further research especially on the
Βiblical foundations and early Church teachings and on the Apostolicity
of the Church, concerning the office of Ministry/Priesthood in both
traditions. The Plenary Meeting formulated a new provisional Statement
that will be developed further in the forth-coming meetings in the near
future.
The Commission, before completing its task, had an extended and thorough
discussion about the landmark of the 500th anniversary of the
Reformation initiated by the theology of Martin Luther, which will be
solemnly celebrated in 2017. In addition, it was decided that
appropriate festivities should take place during the next Joint
Commission Plenary, to be hosted in 2017 by the Lutheran World
Federation.
H.E. Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima informed the Commission about the
intensive preparatory process for convening the Holy and Great Council
of the Orthodox Church, scheduled to be held next year, 2016, in
Constantinople upon the invitation of His All Holiness the Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew and the unanimous consent of all the Heads of the
Holy Orthodox Churches.
The intensive work of the Commission started with an opening Doxology
Prayer at the Holy Monastery of the Mother of God ‘’Faneromeni’’, led by
His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes, who, during the opening
session, addressed the Commission and stressed the significance of
continuing this important dialogue in truth and love. Warm greetings
were also extended to the participants by Mr. Fotis Chatzidiakos, Mayor
of Rhodes, and Mr. Charalambos Kokkinos, Deputy State Representative in
the region.
The Commission members, in a prayer service, expressed their sympathy
for and solidarity with the victims, the people and the children
suffering from the recent devastating earthquake in Nepal. In addition,
they extended their prayers for peace and reconciliation for all
suffering people in the Middle East and in Ukraine.
On Friday, 1 May, the participants visited the Ecumenical Center of the
Evangelical Church (German speaking) in Rhodes, warmly welcomed with
prayers by the local pastor Rev. Dr Bernt Busch, and met with members of
the local community.
On Sunday, 3 May, the group attended
the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral Church of the Annunciation of the
Virgin Mary in Rhodes celebrated by H.E. Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos
and Oreini, where the historic Pan-Orthodox Conferences of
Rhodes started in 1961. Afterwards, the participants visited the
archaeological sites and the medieval Castle of the old city, Lindos and
the Philerimos Monastery.
During the meeting the members further enjoyed the generous hospitality
of the local Orthodox Church and of various parishes, and were grateful
for the warm welcome extended by all.
The next Preparatory Meeting of the Commission is scheduled to take place in 2016, hosted by the Orthodox.
The meeting will deal with already identified topics from both sides
which have not yet been fully developed on the way to constituting a
final Statement on the discussed general theme ’’Ordained Ministry/Priesthood in the life of the Church’’.
Rhodes, 4 May 2015
