Lutherans and Catholics mark major milestone

On 25 October 2024, the Australian Lutheran – Roman Catholic Dialogue reached a major milestone, its 200th meeting, with a dinner to mark the occasion at Archbishop Patrick O’Regan’s home in Adelaide.

Much has been achieved by the dialogue since its inception in 1975, according to Merv Wagner, one of the founding Lutheran members, with documents of agreement on numerous pastoral and theological issues having been produced.

‘The more significant documents are probably the first one on baptism, in which each church recognised baptisms conducted by the other, and the 1998 statement on justification (the sticking point at the time of Reformation)’, he said.

‘Full communion between our churches … remains a hope’, said Rev Dr Stephen Hultgren, who has served as the dialogue’s Lutheran co-chair since 2017.

In the meantime, we’re ‘digging channels in the desert’, he said, paraphrasing Rev Prof Michael Root of the American Lutheran – Roman Catholic dialogue. ‘We cannot force the Holy Spirit to bring about unity. But we can help make our churches ready for it so that when God sends forth the Holy Spirit like water in the desert, the water will flow through all the right channels to reach its goal and to renew our life together in Christ.’

Concluding his reflections on what the dialogue has achieved, Roman Catholic co-chair Prof Gerard Kelly said, ‘I hope the dialogue continues to spark the imagination of people in our churches so that hearing the word of God we may live as one body, one Spirit in Christ.’

The dialogue is currently working towards the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 2030, with the hope of recognition of the Augsburg Confession by the Roman Catholic Church as a legitimate confession of faith for Christians in communion with Rome.

Similar dialogues exist between the Lutheran Church and the Uniting Church and with the Anglican Church.