Christian unity is goal of covenant
By LINDA M. LINONIS
youngstown
The heart of the Lutheran-Catholic Covenant rests on one main goal — to achieve Christian unity through prayer, study and action.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, led by Bishop George V. Murry, and the Northeast Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, headed by Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, will mark the 10th anniversary of the covenant during an evening prayer at 6 p.m. Sunday in St. Columba Cathedral, 154 W. Wood St. A reception will follow in cathedral hall.
Tom Sauline said that the covenant was signed Oct. 29, 2000, by Bishop Marcus J. Miller of the synod and Bishop Thomas J. Malone of the diocese. The covenant came after the World Lutheran Federation and the Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity signed the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by Faith” in 1999. In the diocese, Sauline is a consultant in the Office of Religious Education and is co-convener of the Lutheran-Catholic Covenant Commission.
“The covenant is a reflection of Jesus’ call that we be one,” Sauline said. He cited the preamble, which includes four passages of the Bible that refer to being one and unity. On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed “that they may all be one” (John 17:20-21) about those who believed in him.
Sauline described the covenant as a “local manifestation of the world ministry to promote Christian unity.”
Sauline said the covenant acknowledges the Lutheran belief that one is saved by faith and the Catholic belief that a person is saved by good works.
The document urges respect for differences in traditions and emphasizes shared beliefs such as “the one and only Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” and Jesus is the “living center of faith.”
The denominations pray for one another, have councils and cooperate in community programs.