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Jerving Catholics in

I

News & Herald

Western North Carolina

in the

Diocese of Charlotte

Volume

2

Number 32

April 23, 1993

he Joy Of Easter.

Catholics, Lutherans Join

To

Celebrate Strides Toward Unity By

CAROL HAZARD Associate Editor

CHARLOTTE — Marking an

his-

some 300 Lutherans and Catholics came together April 15 at St.

Crumley

Gabriel Catholic Church for a "dialogue

Commission and a board member of the Institute for Ecumenical Research,

supper" to celebrate and renew a convenant between the two churches. The covenant between the Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh and the Lutheran Synod of North Carolina was

we can

said. "It has to

bother us to

and lay people from both denomina-

be a sense of urgency

tions.

Crumley said. "Loyality to our Lord mustjnean we do everything we can

is

has led to the conclusion that "Lutherans and Roman Catholics are trying to say the same

n buried." John 19:41.

Crumley

say

lemma is "not a simple one," there should

at the international level

tomb where Jesus was buried. The replica was built on the altar for Easter. "Now in the :e where he had been crucified there was a garden and a new tomb in which no one had

Dr.

gathering in the diocese involving clergy

Although remarkable progress has been made in achieving unity between the two churches, the main division continues to be the inability to share the Lord's Supper together, said Dr. Crumley, the keynote speaker. There is convergence, but not consensus on the subject, he said. Dialogue

of

becomes blasphemous to

body and blood of Christ." Although the solution

lumbia.

in Charlotte grace a replica

it

we can not go to the table together,"

yet can't kneel together and receive the

a very contemporary occasomething that would have happened even a few years ago," said the Rev. Dr. James R. Crumley Jr., former bishop of the Lutheran Church in America and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Ecumenism at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Co-

Thomas Aquinas Church

"To me, say

logues at the international level. The dialogue supper was the first large-scale

"This

at St.

Strasbourg, France.

signed Pentecost Sunday 1991 in response to Lutheran/Roman Catholic dia-

sion, not

wers along a waterfall

Active in ecumenical efforts, Dr. is the chairperson of the International Lutheran-Roman Catholic

toric occasion,

thing about the Lord is

truly present,"

'

he

s

believe in Jesus Christ and

to the di-

in resolving

it,

under the Spirit's guidance to get gether and meet together in

full

Dr.

to-

com-

munion

as God's people." Despite this sticking point, the two churches have found ways to "reach

across walls" that have divided them for

Crumley. "All of us recognize that division wounds the church and wounds the body of Christ." Dr. Crumley, who was ordained in centuries, said Dr.

1951, said the Lutheran and Catholic

was in seminary was "an impossible one." There was no rappoire or consensus except on liturgirelationship while he

cal points that neither church could claim,

he said.

The door was opened by the Second Vatican Council, he said. Thus began changes that have led to unity no one

Supper; that Christ

See Unity, Page 3

said.

(See story and another picture on Page 16)

Photo by

JOANN KEANE

100 Years Young.

ope

Tells Visiting

Catholics

Committed To Unity

VATICAN CITY (CNS) ^holic

Lutherans

The Church remains "irrevocably

"imitted" to restoring full unity

with

unity," he said. Christian churches

should "pursue that ecumenical journey together," he added.

Pope John Paul II told of Lutheran visitors from Swe-

"By our persistent prayer, sincere and honest dialogue, and common defense of the authentic religious and ethi-

The best way of accompli shing unity hrough prayer, dialogue and com-

cal values rooted in the Gospel, let us

;r

Christians,

['oup

defense of the Gospel's message, aid April 17.

n,i

The pope said Easter recalled the that the first group of Christians fP heard the news of Jesus' resurrecwas a single community a comj I

hion that has "sadly been fractured" !*jr the centuries. "I

wish to reassure you that the

Jpolic Church remains irrevocably Emitted to restoring that full visible

remain confident that God will bring to completion the good work that he has already begun in us," he said. The pope said he recalled with great joy the ecumenical service held at the Vatican in 1991 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the canonization of St. Bridgit of Sweden. That prayer service with Lutheran bishops demonstrated a "rich common heritage, which Catholics and Lutherans share and which we must continue to foster," he said.

Mercy

McGarry receives a congratulatory hug from Mercy Sister Theophane community celebbrates Sister Jarlath's 100th birthday. (See story on Page 3)

Sister Jarlath

Field as the

Photoby

JOANN KEANE


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