CATHOLIC, LUTHERAN, MENNONITE TRILATERAL DIALOGUE

COMMUNIQUÉ

Bogotá (Colombia), 29 February–4 March 2016

Representatives of the Catholic Church (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity), the Lutheran World Federation, and the Mennonite World Conference met in Bogotá, Colombia, from 29 February to 4 March 2016, for the fourth meeting of the International Trilateral Dialogue Commission. The Commission developed the general topic of the dialogue “Baptism and Incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church” through papers on “Living out our Baptism”, the theme of the fourth meeting. Professor Marie-Hélène Robert (Catholic), Professor Alfred Neufeld (Mennonite) and Revd. Raj Patta (Lutheran), made major presentations reflecting on discipleship, participation in Christ and public witness. In anticipation of the conclusion of the trilateral dialogue, members reviewed the work of the previous years and further developed the drafts of the final document prepared by the drafting group. Each day began and ended in common prayer with morning prayers including joint reflections on biblical texts relating to baptism. The meeting, hosted jointly by the Lutheran, Mennonite and Catholic churches in Colombia took place at the premises of the Catholic Bishops 39 Conference (CEC) of Colombia where the members of the commission enjoyed the warm hospitality of the staff of the CEC. One evening commission members met with Revd. Alberto Franco CSsR, representative of the Interchurch Dialogue for Peace – DiPaz and heard about the ways the local churches participate in and promote the peace and reconciliation process in Colombia. The participants visited also the Cathedral of Bogotá and the Basílica del Señor de Monserrate. Participants in the meeting on behalf of the Catholic Church were Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga, IMC (co-chair, Colombia); Revd. Prof. William Henn, OFM Cap (USA/Italy); Revd. Prof. Luis Melo, SM (Canada); Sister Prof. Dr. Marie-Hélène Robert, NDA (France); and Revd. Avelino Gonzalez (co-secretary, USA/Vatican). Lutheran delegation members were Prof. Dr. Friederike Nüssel (co-chair, Germany); Bishop Emeritus Dr. Musawenkosi Biyela (South Africa); Prof. Dr. Theodor Dieter (France); Revd. Raj Bharath Patta (India/UK); and Revd. Dr. Kaisamari Hintikka (co-secretary, Finland/Switzerland). Mennonites were Prof. Dr. Alfred Neufeld (co-chair, Paraguay); Prof. Dr. Fernando Enns (Germany); Prof. Dr. John Rempel (Canada); and Revd. Dr. Larry Miller (co-secretary, France). Apologies were received from Revd. Prof. Peter Li and Revd. Rebecca Osiro. The fifth and final meeting of the Trilateral Commission is scheduled to take place 8-14 February 2017 in Germany where the commission is expected to finalize its report for submission to the Lutheran World Federation, the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.