Greeting to Council Meeting of the Lutheran World Federation

From 9-14 June, the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) met at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva. Reverend Dr Augustinus Sander, OSB, staff member responsible for dialogue with Lutherans, addressed a greeting [DE] on behalf of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity focusing on the meeting's theme (“In Christ all things hold together” ‒ Col 1:17) and the forthcoming 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. 

The Nicene Creed is a beautiful example of the unifying power of “doxological ecumenism”. Father Sander recalled that “we are united in the common praise of God – many voices but one song!” He then expressed the hope that the Nicaea anniversary in 2025 may be a significant “place and time of pause” on the common journey “from conflict to communion,” a moment of “spiritual concentration […] to gather new strength for the journey through time.” Sometimes", he added, “we would like a faster tempo, but we are not short-distance runners, we are long-distance runners. We need the long breath to reach the goal.”

The LWF Council is the highest authority of the LWF between Assemblies. It consists of the President, the Chairperson of the Finance Committee, and 48 members from LWF member churches in seven regions. 

^{Photo: LWF/S. Gallay}