Cardinal Lehmann clarifies Papal Statement on the nature of the Church

in a speech to the German Catholic Bishops' Conference.

The Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) welcoming the thoughts of Cardinal Karl Lehmann on the relationship of Catholics and Protestanten described them as “an ecumenical good deed”. The Chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference yesterday remained faithful to the Roman Catholic theory of the church in his paper in Fulda over the “self understanding of Catholicism”, according to the Deputy EKD Assembly Chairman, national Bishop Christoph Kähler, in Hanover.

At the same time, Lehmann left room for “a completely fundamental acknowledgment of the authentic ecclesial reality” of the non-catholic churches. The suggestions of the Bishops’ Conference Chairman were examined rapidly, Kähler said. The EKD wants to seek further discussions with the Catholic side. Lehmann made “a trustworthy offer of discussion”. It associates questions to the Protestant Church as well as common tasks with requirements on the Roman Catholic part. Lehmanns suggestion to check on an “ecumenical interim balance”came to open ears. This also applies to the suggestion, to ask questions on the understanding of the Reformation.

Commissioned at the request of the then Cardinal Ratzinger in 1986.