Yesterday, March 14, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Evangelical Lutheran Christuskirche on the Via Sicilia in Rome. A joint prayer service was conducted in German at which both the Supreme Pontiff and a Lutheran pastor delivered homilies. Emphasizing the ways that Catholics and other Christians could bear a common witness to Christ despite the lack of eucharistic communion between themselves, the Holy Father invited his listeners to be thankful that "we are here together on this Laetare Sunday, that we sing together, that we listen to the Word of God together, that we listen to each other, all looking to the one Christ and, thus, rendering testimony to the one Christ."
But the Holy Father also cautioned his audience not to be content "with the successes of the ecumenism of recent years."
He noted that still "we cannot drink of the same chalice and we cannot be together around the altar."
The Pontiff continued, "This should make us sad because it is a sinful situation, but unity cannot be created by men."
"We must entrust ourselves to the Lord, because he is the only one that can give us unity," the Holy Father affirmed. "Let us hope that he will bring us to this unity that we now await."
As we prayerfully await the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, we would do well to reflect on these words of the Holy Father. We are all called to play our parts in the historic drama that is unfolding in our time, but it is God Himself who will bring about true unity in His Church.
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The Lord gives us the grace for unity. Those of you that will accept Benedict's generous offer will lead the way for others. Lord help us all to respond to the urgings of the Holy Spirit.
“We must entrust ourselves to the Lord, because he is the only one that can give us unity,” the Holy Father affirmed. “Let us hope that he will bring us to this unity that we now await.”
Interestingly enough, some Lutherans may follow the TAC into the Apostolic Constitution:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Lutheran_Catholic_Church#Petition_for_unity_with_the_Holy_See
I don't know much about the Anglo-Lutherans or how different they are from either the TAC or Lutherans, but it would be interesting to see if the Anglo-Lutherans provide the same sort of bridge to Lutherans that the TAC can provide to Anglicans who are fed up with their church's wandering in the wilderness and long to return home without completely losing their identity.
The AnglolutheranCatholic Church's website is http://www.anglolutherancatholic.org
There you can find out about them. They hold to the Catechism of the Church, reject all aspects of Lutheranism and Anglicanism if it does not follow the teachings of the Church.
They are actively seeking union with Rome and made a formal appeal in May 2009.
Per their website they have parishes in the States, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Since they are actively seeking union, I believe we will one day soon see them joining the Church.
Yes, we (the ALCC) are actively seeking union with Rome – or more aptly put – we are actively seeking to become fully Roman Catholic. We are not seeking an ordinariate such as that discussed in the Apostolic Constitution however (you can read our petition at http://www.stmichaelsalcc.org/News.dsp).
I do hope, Fr. Mark, that you correct in your belief that we will "one day soon" be welcomed into the Church by Pope Benedict XVI.
All that said, we also rejoice in the Holy Father's recent generous offer to Anglicans, and we pray daily for the unity of all Christians.
Peace and grace,
+Ed Steele, Bishop of Florida
Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church