In Memoriam Bishop emeritus Christian Krause

On 28 November 2024, Bishop emeritus Dr. h.c. Christian Krause passed away in Wolfenbüttel (Germany). Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU), expressed his condolences to the widow of the deceased and paid tribute to Bishop Krause in his letter, describing him as a ‘distinguished representative of ecumenicity of Lutheranism’.

As the then President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Bishop Krause signed the ‘Official Common Statement’ on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg together with Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, the President of the then Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU). This confirmed the ‘Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification’ (JDDJ) - a ‘milestone in the history of Catholic-Lutheran reconciliation’ - in its entirety.

_{Photo: epd-bild / Norbert Neetz: Bishop Krause and Cardinal Cassidy at the signing of the "Official Common Statement" of the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church (Augsburg, 31.10.1999).}