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Pope John Paul II will go down in
history for numerous reasons, not least of which was the length of
his service in the papal ministry. But his commitment to the
ecumenical movement will be remembered by many as the hallmark of
his ministry. His many encyclicals contain numerous references to
his desire to advance the unity of Christ’s Church and he
expressed longing for the day when all Christians could share the
Body and Blood of Christ together. He even called for ecumenical
conversations about his own papal ministry that he might better
serve as a vehicle for Christian unity.
In particular, Lutherans will
always remember John Paul II as the pope who fostered an
unprecedented growth in Lutheran/Roman Catholic relations. Healing
the wounds laid bare during the 16th century Reformation took on
new meaning as the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification was signed in 1999. We live in new hope that the
Spirit of the Living Christ will continue that work and bring
about an even stronger relationship between the two church bodies.
The cause of unity was very much at
the forefront as Pope John Paul II warmly greeted me at The
Vatican in 2003. From his deeply spiritual presence and his
profound faith he welcomed me as a brother in Christ and together
we shared our prayers that the Body of Christ might soon be one.
We give God thanks for the life and
ministry of John Paul II, and we pray that God will strengthen the
people of the Roman Catholic Church with the promise of Christ’s
resurrection during this time of grief and remembrance. We also
pray that God’s Holy Spirit will guide the deliberations of the
College of Cardinals as they begin the process of selecting a new
pope.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
President, Lutheran World Federation
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