DPCU represented at Consultation Advancing Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

Representatives from five World Communions associated with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) convened in Bern, Switzerland, from April 26-28, 2024, to reflect on the ongoing process of strengthening church relations based on the agreements reached in the document. They were joined by representatives of the Old Catholic Church of the Union of Utrecht, which plans to adhere to the JDDJ. The meeting was hosted by the Old Catholic Church of Switzerland in collaboration with Reformed and Methodist partners. The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity was represented by Rev. Dr. Andrzej Choromanski, responsible for multilateral relations.

The consultation underscored the importance of the platform provided by the JDDJ for advancing multilateral relations and fostering closer communion among Christian traditions involved in the JDDJ process. It encouraged further theological dialogue among the parties involved using the methodology of "differentiated consensus" employed by the JDDJ.

The next consultation on the JDDJ process is scheduled for 2026, while a smaller Steering Committee meets annually.

The JDDJ, signed in 1999 by the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church, represents a historic agreement on the understanding of justification, a central doctrine of the Christian faith which was a main point of doctrinal controversy at the time of the Lutheran Reformation. Since its signing, the JDDJ has been joined by the World Methodist Council (2006), the Anglican Communion (2016), and the World Communion of Reformed Churches (2017). The consultation expressed openness to the potential inclusion of other communions.