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World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit brings ecumenical greetings from the WCC to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Eleventh Assembly, 20-27 July 2010, in Stuttgart, Germany. © LWF/Erick Coll

22.07.2010

Lutherans’ commitment to unity needed “more than ever”, WCC General Secretary Says

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit praises the ecumenical commitment of Lutherans, looks forward to “a common sharing of the one bread.”

STUTTGART, Germany, 22 July 2010 – The Lutheran insistence on the fact "that we are one because we are sharing the one and same Christ, because we receive the same gift" is something the ecumenical movement needs now "more than ever", said the World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, speaking in Stuttgart yesterday.

Tveit was greeting participants at the beginning of the Eleventh Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) gathered in Stuttgart, Germany, 20-27 July. The theme of the Assembly is "Give Us Today Our Daily Bread". Over 1,000 participants from all over the world, including 418 delegates from 140 churches in 79 countries are attending the event.

Offering thanks for the contribution of the Lutheran churches to the fellowship of the WCC "both today and in decades past,” Tveit highlighted some of the many gifts received from the Lutheran communion. "You are known for your commitment to peace with justice, to mission, diakonia and to ecumenical dialogue and inter-religious cooperation. Let it be so also in the future,” he said.

The theme of the Assembly "touches the heart of the gospel and therefore also the heart of our being one in Christ,” Tveit said. "When we pray for daily bread,” he added, "we acknowledge the body of Christ, the bread of life, given for our salvation, and we experience the hunger of justice that calls us into communion for actions of sharing.”

The WCC General Secretary acknowledged that "there are several reasons given for why churches are not fully sharing the one bread in the Eucharist.” However, Tveit added, "in the light of your theme and the affirmation of the one bread, there are even more important theological and moral reasons why we continue to do anything we can do to come to the same table and have a common sharing of the one bread.”

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