Seminar on the Way

Seminar on the Way: Liturgical Perspectives on the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue

Conveners: John Baldovin, S.J., Professor of Historical & Liturgical Theology, Boston College School of Theology & Ministry; Thomas Schattauer, Professor of Liturgics and Dean of the Chapel, Wartburg Theological Seminary

Members in Attendance: John Baldovin, Shane Brinegar, Timothy Brunk, Hans Christoffersen, Joseph Donnella, Benjamin Durheim, Virgil Funk, Gordon Lathrop, Melinda Quivik, Anthony Ruff, Martin Seltz, David Turnbloom, Julia Upton, Paul Westermeyer

Visitors in Attendance: Davide Bracale, Kathryn Johnson, Tomi Kartunnen, James Puglisi, Jonathan Tan, Trish Sullivan Vanni

Description of Work: This was the third meeting of the seminar which was convened in 2018 in order to discuss how liturgical scholars might respond to the Declaration on the Way: Church, Eucharist, and Ministry of the Committee on Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (2015) from a specifically liturgical pint of view.

This year we began by discussing how the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (Lutheran World Federation, Roman Catholic Church, 1999) impacts the specific work of the seminar, especially in light of a consultation held at the University of Notre Dame on the 20th anniversary in 1998. Three papers relevant to the work of the seminar were discussed: on shared communion, on the role of the epiclesis in the Eucharistic prayer from the point of view of Critical Realism and Social Change, and on Liturgical Ecclesiology. We also had a report on and discussion of “To Serve the People of God”—the Boston College Statement on the state and future of Roman Catholic priesthood in the US as well as an update on the Anglican/Episcopal and Roman Catholic Dialogues relevant to the issues we have been studying. Finally, we had a presentation on developments on the international level with regard to moving the “Declaration on the Way” forward.

An entire session was given over to a discussion of submissions toward a common statement of the seminar that had been offered by five of our members after last year’s meeting.

Papers and Presentations:

  •  Kathryn Johnson, “The JDDJ (1999) Comes of Age: What Significance Can it Have for Future Steps Forward?”   •  Timothy Brunk, “Ecumenism and Roman Catholic Eucharist”   •  Benjamin Durheim, “Epicletic Advance? Viewing Eucharistic Fellowship

Through the Epiclesis and Critical Realism”   •  Gordon Lathrop, “The Gift and Challenge of Liturgical Ecclesiology”   •  John Baldovin, “Reflections on ‘To Serve the People of God: Renewing the

Conversation on Priesthood and Ministry’”   •  Ruth Meyers, “Report on National and International Dialogues of Anglicans/

Episcopalians and Roman Catholics on Questions related to Eucharist, Ministry and Authority”   •  Kathryn Johnson, “Update on International Ecumenical Conversations and

Dialogues”   •  Tomi Karttunen, “Update on Roman Catholic/Lutheran Dialogue in Finland and Sweden”

Other Work and Plans for the Future: The members of the seminar have concluded that we have made significant progress toward a common statement that can move the ecumenical discussion between Lutherans and Roman Catholics on issues related to sacramental celebration forward. On the basis of our liturgical methodology (Lex orandi/Lex credendi) we have found that agreement between Lutherans and Roman Catholics is such that there should be no obstacle to eucharistic sharing and that there are no significant obstacles to the mutual recognition of ministries. These conclusions are also founded on a liturgical ecclesiology rooted in baptism.

Therefore, we have judged that the work the seminar set out to do has been mostly achieved and that the seminar should come to an end. The work, however, is not completed. Over the next few months seminar members have agreed to make further contributions to our agreed statement which will be submitted for discussion and reaction to two pre-meetings at NAAL 2021: the Catholic Academy of Liturgy and the Lutheran Caucus. We will then convene at a lunch sidebar during the NAAL meeting to finalize the document and look for ways to disseminate it.