In preparation for the 16th Plenary Session of the Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission, a second preparatory meeting was held in Sibiu, Romania, from 24-29 May 2013. The meeting was hosted by the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania.
According to the decision of its first preparatory meeting in London, Great Britain, from 5-10 May 2012, the Commission discussed in Sibiu the themes a) the Lutheran understanding of Ministry/Priesthood during the period of the Reformation, and b) apostolic succession and ordination from a historical, patristic and canonical point of view.
Representing the Lutheran World Federation at this meeting were: Bishop Prof. Dr Christoph Klein (Co-President), Romania; Prof. Dr Kenneth G. Appold, USA; Rev. Prof. Dr Hermann Pitters, Romania; Rev. Dr Jennifer Wasmuth, Germany; Rev. Prof. Dr Risto Saarinen, Finland; Rev. Prof. Dr Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, France (consultant); Rev. Dr Kaisamari Hintikka (Co-Secretary), Switzerland; Ms Mercedes Restrepo, Switzerland (administrative support).
The Orthodox Churches were represented by: H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima (Co-President), Ecumenical Patriarchate, Turkey; The V. Rev. Protopresbyter Prof. Dr George Dion Dragas, Patriarchate of Jerusalem, USA; Rev. Archpriest Valentin Vasechko, Patriarchate of Moscow, Russia; the V. Rev. Prof. Dr Viorel Ionita, Patriarchate of Romania, Switzerland; H. E. Metropolitan Dr Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini, Church of Cyprus, Cyprus; Prof. Dr Christos Voulgaris, Church of Greece, Greece; Prof. Dr Konstantinos Delikostantis, Greece (consultant); Prof. Dr Nikolaos Nikolaides, Cyprus (consultant); and the V. Rev. Tertiary Patriarchal Deacon Dr Theodoros Meimaris (Co-Secretary), Ecumenical Patriarchate, Turkey.
The Committee heard four presentations. These approached the topic of Ministry/Priesthood from the following viewpoints: Lutheran Reformation’s Doctrine of Ministry; Martin Luther’s Conception of Ministry – an Orthodox Approach; The Understanding of Ordination and Succession in Lutheranism; and The Mystery of Priesthood During the Time Prior to the Synod of Nicaea (325).
Discussions on these papers identified areas of agreement between the two traditions on these topics, and also a considerable number of open questions and differences. A statement was drafted which will help the Plenary meeting in 2015. In this draft statement the Committee identified further issues which should be discussed in order to better understand the Ministry/Priesthood in our respective traditions.
On Saturday 25 May, the Committee attended the Orthodox Vigil at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Sibiu, and on Sunday 26 May the Lutheran Service in Margherita Church in Medias. It also visited the Orthodox and Lutheran faculties as well as the Ecumenical Institute of Sibiu.
During the meeting hospitality and receptions were offered by His Eminence Prof. Dr Laurentiu Streza, Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania, the Very Reverend Reinhardt Guib, the Bishop of Evangelical Church A. C. in Romania as well as by the Evangelical parishes of Medias, Sighisoara and Cisnadioara.
It was decided that a third preparatory meeting of the 16th Plenary of the Joint Commission will be held in May 2014, hosted by the Lutheran World Federation. The themes to be discussed in this meeting will be a) liturgical texts on rites of ordination in Orthodox and in Lutheran traditions; b) the Lutheran understanding of the ordination of women, and on the other hand, the Orthodox understanding of the role and the place of women in the church and the question of ordination. The 16th Plenary Meeting will take place in 2015, hosted by the Orthodox Churches.