International Dialogue

The Australian Dialogue is a part of an international movement between Lutherans and Roman Catholics to dialogue both informally and formally on faith and unity. This page is an attempt to document the formal dialogues between Lutherans and Roman Catholics and to provide links to their statements as expressions of their own dialogues, without endorsing them as statements of our own.

International Dialogues

LWF and PCPCU

This Dialogue grew out of relationships forged during the Second Vatican Council. Beginning formal meetings in 1967, it is the oldest of all Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogues. Lutheran members represent the Lutheran World Federation and Catholic members represent the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

It has produced more than ten statements, including the significant 1999 statement, The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

The website for the Dialogue, including their statements, can be found here.

ILC and

PCPCU

This new dialogue began meeting in 2015 and can be read about here.

A statement arising from their theological conversations was published in 2021 and can be found here.

Dialogue in the USA

ELCA and USCCB

Formal Dialogue in the USA between Lutherans and Catholics began in 1965. The Lutheran partners of this Dialogue have come mainly from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As the ELCA is a member of the LWF, this Dialogue has connections with the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity. The Catholic members represent the Bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Most of their statements can be found here.

Dialogue in Germany

VELKD and Deutsche Bischofs-konferenz

This Dialogue has been active since 1976. The Lutheran members represent the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD), and the Roman Catholic members represent the German National Bishops' Conference.

In 1984 the Dialogue published "Kirchengemeinshaft in Wort und Sacrament" and in 2000 "Communio Sanctorum - Die Gemeinschaft der Heiligen", which was translated into English. In 2017 the Dialogue published "Gott under die Würde des Menschen", which has also been translated into English.

A website for the dialogue can be found here.

Dialogue in Scandinavia

Sweden and Finland

Lutherans from Sweden and Finland have been members of the LWF-PCPCU Dialogue.

But Sweden and Finland have also had a regional Dialogue Group. In 2010 they published "Justification in the Life of the Church". In 2017, The Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue Commission for Finland, comprising of members from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Catholic Church in Finland, published "Communion in Growth", a dialogue document on Church, Eucharist and Ministry.

More information on the most recent discussions can be found here.

Dialogue in Canada

ELCIC and

CCCB

LCC and

CCCB

Dialogue between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and representatives of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops began in 1986. It culminated in a report entitled "Lutheran/Catholic Dialogue in Canada".

Since then the dialogue has focussed on facilitating regional dialogue. More information can be found here.

In 2013 the Dialogue between the Lutheran Church-Canada and representatives of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops began. This new dialogue meets twice a year and is yet to issue a formal statement.

More can be read about this dialogue here, and here.