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Assessment 3: Seminar paper 2

Student name:

Institution:
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Introduction

After the Vatican II council, Score of national and International commissions were
inaugurated to forward the work of non-denominational dialogue. The focal point of their
scrutinize usually involved the questions concerning the doctrines. The groundwork of these
ecumenical dialogues was bilateral, meaning they involved the engagement of two churches at a
time. The Roman Catholic Church has played a major role in engaging in these dialogues. This
dialogue began in the 1960s and 1970s. Eventually these dialogues became pre-eminent element
of the church unity. Their number increased drastically and also the number of the published
reports. These dialogues have also continued in the 2000s. The aim of these dialogues is to
resolve issues that cause division in the church and this is achieved through sharing of insight,
seeking a more clear understanding, and also unearthing new viewpoints in order to achieve the
church goals. Some of those dialogues are discussed below.

Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue

This dialogue started in the year 1970 and its final report was published in the year
1981. On the issue of the final report, the Anglican Roman Church International
Commission (ARCIC) hoped that is will aid ‘begin a process of extensive prayer,
reflection, and study that will represent a marked advance toward the goal of organic
union between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion'1. However the
ARCIC I attracted various criticism, queries and comments. After the publishing of the
final report, The Roman Catholic church and the Anglican Communion began to study
acknowledge the final report. Johannes Cardinal Willebrands wrote a letter to the
episcopal conferences of the Roman Catholic Church in March 17 1982 seeking work
appraisal and it was pointed out that the process would wrap up in the year 1988. One of
the agenda of this discussion concerned the ordination of women; they came into
agreement that this topic should remain a topic of discussion in the dialogue. The other
agenda incorporated deliberations of various steps that the both churches could take in
order develop advanced and new standards of authentic ecclesial communion.
The common declaration by Pope Paul VI and the archbishop of Canterbury, March 24,
1966, is Called to Full Unity: Documents on Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations 1966-
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1983, ed. Joseph W. Witmer and J. Robert Wright (Washington, D.C.: United States
Catholic Conference, 1986), p. 3

2. Lutheran- Catholic dialogues.

The commission for the Lutheran-Catholic dialogue was established in the year 1973. Unlike the
ARC, the Lutheran- Catholic did not address matter concerning: teaching authority, justification
by faith, infallibility and prematial authority. The Lutheran Catholic looked forward to joint with
the Roman Catholic Church through mutual exchange and proceeds of recognition. The Agendas
were: having a common sacramental life, amalgamated constitution of directing the pastoral
ministry and how the community could move forward towards professed faith. The dialogue
moved from a dialogue to a well-founded decision biding a joint declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification. The churches of Lutheran world federation did an evaluation to that and in the year
1998, they consented with the content of joint declaration. This process brought the two churches
into deeper communion.

3. Apostolicum

This refers to the Apostles’ Creed. It is one of the multilateral agreed statements the
Roman Catholic Church engaged. This statement of faith is not only used by the Roman Catholic
Church but also protestant churches and Anglican churches.
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Biography

Bradshaw, Tim. "Primacy and Authority in the ARCIC Report." Theology 89, no. 727 (1986):
24-32.

Fuchs, Lorelei F. "COMMUNION TERMINOLOGY IN THE LUTHERAN-ROMAN

CATHOLIC INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE IN LIGHT OF THE KOINONIA LANGUAGE
OF THE CANBERRA STATEMENT." Journal of ecumenical studies 39 (2002).

Kantyka, Przemysław. "What Happened to Sola Scriptura? How the Bible Was Used in the Fight
for Women Priest and Bishops in the Anglican Communion." Roczniki Teologii Ekumenicznej 4
(59) (2012): 31-42.

Mayer, Annemarie C. "Fundamentals of our common faith: basic ecumenism in Harvesting the
Fruits." International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church 11, no. 1 (2011): 79-89.