The Holy Church

Seminar on Ecclesiology

2008-03-28/29

As every year, ISE held a Seminar on ecclesiology with the participation of the teachers and a qualified group of theologians invited to this event. The topic was The Holy Church, based on four papers: one biblical (by Tecle Vetrali), one dogmatic (by Fulvio Ferrario), one dedicated to the theme of Ecumenical dialogues (by Giovanni Cereti) and an ethical one (by Pompeo Piva). The overall view was enriched with a series of notes by Fernando Rodriguez Garrapucho, Martin Wallraff, Michele Cassese. The contributions highlighted the twofold dimension of sanctity: gift and duty, of which the first is the original and basic element. On this point the consensus, Ecumenical included, is very broad. However another issue remains open, that is if this convergence on sanctity may also lead to consequences regarding an Ecumenical reading of other notae ecclesiae, in particular the one related to apostolicity, on which debate often centers.

Furthermore the seminar included a moment of reflection thanks to the commentary that André Birmelé dedicated to the document of the World Lutheran Federation launched at Lund in 2007  focusing on Episkopé. The presentation by Professor Birmelé from Strasbourg, as dense as the document that he illustrated, explained how the dimension of the Episkopé is more ample than the ministry of a Bishop conceived in a personal perspective, notwithstansting this is important in the Lutheran view. During the debate, Birmelé has put forward two crucial questions respectively to the Roman Catholic Church and to the Reformation Churches. The first was asked, in the opinion of the Lutheran theologian, if they will be able to affect a communion with those who are different: despite asserting the opposite, Rome seems to expect conformity in order to be in communion. The Evangelical Churches were asked if they are capable of catholicity, that is if they can adopt and support commmon positions without retreating into their own particularisms.

The papers of this valuable moment in the life of ISE will be published the year 2008 in the Institute journal Ecumenical Studies.

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