Greeting from Cardinal Koch on the change of leadership of GNC-LWF

On 11 December, the change of leadership of the German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (GNC-LWF) took place during a worship service in the church of the Stephansstift in Hanover.

In a written greeting, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU), honoured the service of the previous chair of the GNC-LWF, retired Bishop Frank Otfried July, and wished God's blessing on the new chair, Bishop Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt, for her future ecumenical commitment. At the same time, he highlighted the ecumenical potential of the results of the international Catholic-Lutheran dialogue, calling for continued efforts in the process of reception at the local level.

The GNC/LWF represents the global Lutheran communion in Germany, coordinates the contributions of the 11 German member churches to the LWF, and supports the LWF in its theological, missionary and diaconal work.

Photo credits: DNK-LWB, F. Hübner; LWB, A. Hillert