Catholic German Bishop Wilmer welcomes consideration of " Eccumenical Parishes"

[IanM]

This post offers a translation of an article in the German Catholic online magazine https://www.katholisch.de The second part of the translation will be posted immediately below it. A link to the original German language article will also be posted in the second post.
““Bishop Wilmer welcomes proposal on " Ecumenical congregations”

The Protestant regional bishop Ralf Meister from Hanover considers parishes with Protestant and Catholic Christians possible in the future. His Catholic counterpart, Heiner Wilmer from Hildesheim welcomes these Considerations.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Hanoverian Bishop Ralf Meister considers church congregations with Protestant and Catholic Christians under one roof possible in the future. “Many people today no longer ask whether someone is Protestant or Catholic, but only whether they are Christian or not,” he said in an interview with the Evangelical Press Service (epd). The bishop of Hildesheim, Heiner Wilmer, welcomed the reflections of his evangelical counterpart. “I firmly believe that there is much more unifying than separating between the two great German churches,” Wilmer told the epd. “As Christians, we are all called to witness and proclaim the Gospel,” said Wilmer. “How we can go together in pastoral care is a right and important question for the future. We will certainly continue to deal with this in ecumenism.”

Meister had suggested to consider what the two churches could do together in the future - “right up to the founding of pure ecumenical congregations”. That is a distant wish, “but you can express it calmly”, he said. At present, it is still completely open what such congregations might look like: “we are just not ready yet and have our differences, for example with the Lord’s supper.“Initiatives are needed that challenge both churches:” I believe this will be very decisive for the future of Christianity in our country.”

(remainder of translated article follows in subsequent post)

 

[IanM]

( continuation of translated article)

Temporary congregations?

Meister also wants new and creative forms for his own national church, the largest in Germany. He’s thinking of municipalities, who were together only for a limited period of time, possibly without a Pastor and Church building, with a volunteer representative preachers. "Why should there not also be a pure youth church, conceived and supported by young people alone, or an international congregation? We could immediately take up such initiatives and support them financially, " the theologian stressed. The proclamation and pastoral care also take place on social media: “isn’t that already a church?”

He thought such a development would be possible in the next 20 to 30 years, said Meister. "It will, of course, be difficult and painful for those of us who represent the church as an Institution."But in the new church constitution of the Hannoversche Landeskirche, which was adopted last year, the appropriate conditions for this were created. “My wish is to interpret our Constitution in such an open and liberal way that other forms of community are accepted in our church”, the Bishop said: “this would also revive us.”(epd)

Original article:

Bischof Wilmer begrüßt Vorschlag zu "ökumenischen Gemeinden"

Viele Menschen nehmen Konfessionsgrenzen nicht mehr wahr

www.katholisch.de

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Can someone please move this over to Catholic News? It doesn’t really seem to be about Liturgy and Sacraments.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The bishop of Hildesheim, Heiner Wilmer, welcomed the reflections of his evangelical counterpart. “I firmly believe that there is much more unifying than separating between the two great German churches,” Wilmer told the epd. “As Christians, we are all called to witness and proclaim the Gospel,” said Wilmer. “How we can go together in pastoral care is a right and important question for the future. We will certainly continue to deal with this in ecumenism.”

The Catholic bishop made a general statement supporting the idea of Christian unity, which the Church teaches that we should all be striving towards (the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, involving ecumenical prayer, is coming up). That doesn’t amount to the Catholic bishop saying he agrees with all Meister’s ideas for what form the unification should take. Nor do I see anything to get excited about here at this stage.

 

[IanM]

It doesn’t really seem to be about Liturgy and Sacraments.

Surely the theological differences between Catholics and Lutherans over the nature of Eucharist place this firmly in the "Sacrament " camp for discussion?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s a thread about a news article and it was already moved by someone.

We get a lot of these news articles lately about German bishops. Catholic News is where they generally all belong.