The official ecumenical dialogue delegations of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church in Finland have concluded the drafting of a new document, entitled "Communion in Growth", that reflects a "theological-pastoral closeness". The author is a member of the Catholic commission on this dialogue.
Raimo Goyarrola. Helsinki
Vicar General of the Diocese of Helsinki
In early 2014, Finnish Lutheran bishop Simo Peura asked us if we were interested in starting a theological dialogue on a topic of interest ecumenical. The question came as a pleasant surprise. The previous Nordic dialogue, in which Sweden also participated, took place between 2002 and 2009. It resulted in a very significant common text, Justification in the Life of the Churchin 2010. Four years after that publication, the new initiative would be limited to Finland, but with a universal horizon.
From Rome, they follow with great interest and closeness what is happening in our country, since it is not for nothing that Finland is the ecumenical paradise. Cardinal Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, had already suggested in 2011 that the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation should draw up a joint declaration on the Church, the Eucharist and the ministry worldwide. In the same way that the historic 1999 Statement on the doctrine of justification, now it was time to go a step further.
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