The Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church and the Uniting Church in Australia are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.
"The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification was signed by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church on October 31 1999. On July 23 2006, the World Methodist Council associated themselves with the document," said the Head of the Bishops Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations Bishop Michael Putney.
"Prior to the signing of this document by the international dialogue, Australian Lutherans and Catholics had discussed the doctrine of justification for three years (October 1995 - October 1998) leading to the publication in November 1998 of Justification, A Common Statement of the Australian Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue."
The main celebration will take place in Adelaide on Thursday October 29.
Archbishop Philip Wilson, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, and Reverend Dr Mike Semmler, President, Lutheran Church of Australia, will preside at Vespers in St Francis Xavier Cathedral. Bishop Michael Putney, Chair of the Bishops Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations, and Reverend John Henderson, Vice-President of the Lutheran Church of Australia, will give presentations.
A second celebration will take place in Brisbane, during the National Conference of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith Commissions that is on from Friday October 30 to November 1. An ecumenical service of Thanksgiving will also be held at St Peter's Lutheran Church, Indooropilly on October 31.
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Catholic-Lutheran Doctrine of Justification celebrates 10 years (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference)