杏MAP导航

By Joseph Tulloch

On Thursday morning, 杏MAP导航 Francis met with a delegation from the , highlighting the 鈥榮igns of hope鈥� on our common ecumenical journey.

Among those in attendance was the Rev Dr Anne Burghardt, the Federation鈥檚 General Secretary and an ordained pastor in the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church.

After the meeting, the Rev Burghardt stopped by for an interview in Vatican News鈥� offices, and discussed the state of Catholic-Lutheran relations today.

Catholic-Lutheran dialogue

Burghardt began by noting that the Lutheran Church鈥檚 dialogue with the Catholic Church is its oldest, dating back to 1967, right after the Second Vatican Council.

There have been five rounds of official dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans so far, and, Burghardt said, the plan is for a sixth phase 鈥� focusing on ecclesiology and the understanding of ministry 鈥� to begin next year.

However, she stressed, there is 鈥渁lready so much we can celebrate together鈥�. In particular, she mentioned the , which, she said, 鈥渟olves one of the crucial issues that caused separation in the 16th century.鈥�

Rev Dr Anne Burghardt at the Vatican News offices

The Augsburg Confession

Burghardt noted that next year will mark the beginning of the preparations for the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession (or 鈥楥onfessio Augustana鈥�), a foundational statement of the Lutheran faith.

Published in 1530, it was originally intended to frame Lutheran theology in such a way that it would be acceptable to Roman Catholics.

Burghardt said that the LWF is hoping to 鈥渓ook at this confessional work through an ecumenical lens鈥�, exploring together with the Catholic Church the 鈥渦niversal Christian understanding鈥� it contains.

The 鈥楥atholic Luther鈥�

Asked about the rediscovery in recent scholarship of the 鈥楥atholic Luther鈥�, Burghardt said that 鈥渋t was never Luther's aim to create another Church.鈥�

His aim, she said, was rather to reform the Church, and to 鈥減ut the Gospel and the message of God's grace at the centre.鈥�

鈥淲hen I listened to 杏MAP导航 Francis this morning,鈥� she added, 鈥渉e said that Jesus Christ is the heart of ecumenism and he is Divine Mercy incarnate - this could easily have been said by Martin Luther back then.鈥�

She noted that this, in her view, is the central contribution that Luther has made to Christianity as a whole: the impetus to 鈥減ut Jesus Christ and the relevance of God's grace and mercy at the centre of our faith.鈥�

Ecumenical progress

As the interview drew to a close, Burghardt emphasised her 鈥済reat joy鈥� over the current state of good relations between churches today.

Sometimes we hear, she noted, that ecumenism is not moving fast enough 鈥� but it is very important to remember that only 100 years ago the situation was completely different.

鈥淚t is very good to see that Christians are really coming closer together and are working together,鈥� Burghardt said. 鈥淛oint voices are very much needed in the world today.鈥�