CATHOLIC-LUTHERAN PRESS CONFERENCE ON DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION

VATICAN CITY, JUN 11, 1999 (VIS) - Cardinal Edward Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, participated in a press conference today at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva, Switzerland, to announce the positive conclusion of the process of examination undertaken by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation relative to the Joint Declaration of the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation on the Doctrine of Justification.

Published simultaneously in Rome were the Official Common Statement by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church, an Annex, and Cardinal Cassidy's speech at the presentation.

Cardinal Cassidy reviewed the background of Catholic-Lutheran meetings which led up to today's signing of the Common Statement. He also underscored the text of the first paragraph of the Statement, released in the original English and in Italian and German. That paragraph says:

"On the basis of the agreements reached in the Joint Declaration regarding the doctrine of Justification, the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church declare together: 'The understanding of the doctrine of justification set forth in this Declaration shows that a consensus in basic truths of the doctrine of justification exists between Lutherans and Catholics'. On the basis of this consensus the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church declare together: 'The teaching of the Lutheran churches presented in this Declaration does not fall under the condemnations from the Council of Trent. The condemnations in the Lutheran Confessions do not apply to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church presented in this declaration'."

Paragraph three of the Statement says that "the two partners in dialogue are committed to continued and deepened study of the biblical foundations of the doctrine of justification."

The brief Statement ends: "By this act of signing The Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation confirm the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in its entirety."

Cardinal Cassidy explained that the Annex "further substantiates the consensus reached in the Joint Declaration. In brief, it takes up those questions that were causing some uncertainty on the part of one or other of the two partners and without altering the Joint Declaration, removes that uncertainty."
The cardinal, who was joined by Ismael Noko, secretary general of the Lutheran World Federation, concluded: "On the Catholic side, the Official Common Statement and the Annex have been approved by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. His Holiness Pope John Paul II has been informed accordingly and has given his blessing for the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, together with the Official Common Statement with its attached Annex on the date and place to be decided by the two partners."

It was announced that this signing will take place in Augsburg, Germany, October 30-31, 1999.

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