Baptism is the Real Sacrament of Unity, says Lutheran Head
Baptism is the real sacrament of unity among all churches, according to the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg, Germany.
Baptism is the real sacrament of unity among all churches, according to the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg, Germany.
Juergen Johannesdotter, a bishop from the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, explained in a newsletter that while the Eucharist has long-since been held as a sacrament of unity for all intent and purpose, Baptism is actually the real sacrament that can bring churches together, since not all churches agree with the Roman Catholic Church’s high regard for the Eucharist.
The meaning of the Eucharist, a sacrament commemorating the last supper, has been disputed over the years. Some churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, believe that the consecrated bread and the wine taken in during the Eucharist is the actual body of Christ while other mostly protestant churches view it as largely symbolic. Still other churches reject the sacrament entirely.
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In contrast, he said, Baptism is recognized “both in the Protestant and Roman Catholic Church despite all the other differences in sacramental doctrine.” Therefore, he stressed that churches should adopt baptism as the “real sacrament of unity,” according to the Lutheran World Federation.
Johannesdotter’s statement comes in light of the 5th year anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) between the Catholic and Lutheran church traditions.
Johannesdotter also said that he was concerned about the “wrangling over a date for the next church convention” since such disputes may lead to the “perception that the impatient yearning for visible progress in ecumenical relations has been succeeded by a backward movement motivated mainly by church politics," he argues.
There should be confidence building measures among churches, he said. “Disappointed yearning for an ecumenical 'one-age' has rapidly evolved into equally unhelpful talk about an ecumenical 'ice age.’”
The VELKD is a fellowship body that brings eight Evangelical Lutheran churches together. It is also a part of the 66 million member Lutheran World Federation – the international organization that signed the JDDJ with the Roman Catholic Church five years earlier.
