Consultation at the University of Notre Dame to mark 20th anniversary of JDDJ

From 26–28 March, a delegation of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity led by Cardinal Kurt Koch participated in a Consultation at the Notre Dame University in Indiana, USA, gathering representatives from the five worldwide Christian communions associated with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) to mark the 20th anniversary of its signing.

Originally subscribed to by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the agreement has since included the World Methodist Council, the Anglican Communion and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. A communiqué was issued at the conclusion of the meeting.

The Notre Dame Consultation Statement, approved by the five communions represented at the consultation, presents the results of the reflection on the impact of the JDDJ on ecumenical relations. It also articulates the importance of the message of the JDDJ in the broader social context of our times – “drawn by a common urgency to present the message of God`s liberating grace and hope for this world.”