FIRST PHASE

• August 25-27, 1965 – Strasbourg, France
  
  • Exploratory meeting to determine whether and in what manner the relations which have already begun can be continued and intensified; the content, shape and scope of possible discussions; central theological issues for future dialogue
• April 13-15, 1966 – Strasbourg, France
  
  • Further study on projected dialogue; establishment of Roman Catholic – Lutheran Working Group – JOINT REPORT

MEETINGS

1. November 26-30, 1967 – Zürich, Switzerland
   “Gospel and Tradition”
2. September 15-19, 1968 – Bástad, Sweden
   “World and Church under the Gospel”
3. May 4-8, 1969 – Nemi, Italy
   “Structures of the Church”
4. February 22-26, 1970 – Cartigny / Geneva, Switzerland
   “Gospel and Law – Gospel and Christian Freedom”
5. February 21-26, 1971 – San Anton, Malta
   “The Gospel and the Church – The Malta Report” (1972) – FINAL REPORT

CO-CHAIRMEN

Prof. Dr. Einar Molland
Oslo, Norway
Prof. Dr. Walter Kasper
Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany

CO-SECRETARIES

Prof. Dr. Harding Meyer, Lutheran (1967-1972)
Dr. August B. Hasler, Catholic (1967-1972)

SECOND PHASE

“JOINT EVANGELICAL-LUTHERAN – ROMAN CATHOLIC COMMISSION”

MEETINGS

1. March 21-24, 1973 – Geneva, Switzerland
   “Survey of Lutheran / RC Relations; Program planning; the significance of the world for the self-understanding of the Church”
2. January 8-12, 1974 – Rome, Italy
   “The Ministry in interconfessional dialogue; theology of liberation and the structures of the Church; Church’s self-understanding”
3. March 15-21, 1976 – Liebfrauenberg, France
   “Review of the way in which the “Malta Report” is being received; Lord’s Supper; models of unity”
4. March 5-12, 1977 – Paderborn, Germany
   “Eucharist; ministry; models of the Church”
5. October 7-12, 1978 – Sigtuna, Sweden
   “Ordained ministry; episcopate; models of the Church; ways to communion”
   “The Lord’s Supper” – JOINT STATEMENT and OBSERVATION
6. February 19-23, 1980 – Augsburg, Germany
   “All Under One Christ” – JOINT STATEMENT
   “Ways to Community” – JOINT STATEMENT and OBSERVATION
7. March 9-14, 1981 – Lantana, Florida (USA)
   “The Ministry in the Church” – JOINT STATEMENT and OBSERVATION
8. May 10-15, 1982 – Venice, Italy
   “Models of unity”
9. May 2-7, 1983 – Württemberg, Germany
   “Martin Luther – Witness to Jesus Christ” – JOINT STATEMENT and COMMENTARY
10. February 27-March 3, 1984 – Rome, Italy
    “Facing Unity. Models, Forms and Phases of Catholic-Lutheran Church Fellowship” – JOINT REPORT and COMMENTARY

CO-CHAIRMEN

Prof. Dr. George A. Linbeck (1973-1984)
Professor, Yale University New Haven, CT (USA)
Most Rev. Hans L. Martensen (1973-1984)
Bishop of Copenhagen, Denmark

CO-SECRETARIES

Dr. Peder Nørgaard-Højen, Lutheran (1973-1974)
Prof. Dr. Vilmos Vajta, Lutheran (1974-1983)
Rev. Dr. Carl H. Mau, Jr., Lutheran (1980-1984)
Rev. Dr. Daniel F. Martensen, Lutheran (1980-1984)
Rev. Dr. Eugene Brand, Lutheran (1984-1986)
Msgr. Dr. Aloys Klein, Catholic (1980-1990)
Prof. Dr. H. Schütte, Catholic (1973-1980)
Msgr. Dr. Charles Moeller, Catholic (1980)
Rev. Fr. Pierre Duprey, M. Afr., Catholic (1981-1986)

THIRD PHASE

MEETINGS

1. March 10-14, 1986 – Céligny (Bossey), Switzerland
   “Justification, ecclesiology, sacramentality”
2. February 15-21, 1987 – Wiesbaden-Naurod, Federal Republic of Germany
   “Doctrine of Justification and doctrine of the Church”
3. March 7-11, 1988 – Versailles, France
   “Justification”
4. February 27-March 4, 1989 – Opole, Poland
   “Contextual theology; ecclesiology”
5. October 1-5, 1990 – Oslo, Norway
   “Ecclesiology; justification”
6. September 30-October 4, 1991 – Venice, Italy
   “Ecclesiology; justification”
7. November 10-14, 1992 – Eisenbach, Germany
   “Church and justification; 25th anniversary of the Lutheran/Catholic Dialogue; future of the dialogue”
8. September 5-11, 1993 – Würzburg, Germany
   “Church and Justification”
   “Church and Justification – Understanding the Church in the Light of the Doctrine of the Justification” – JOINT REPORT and COMMENTARY

CO-PRESIDENTS

Rt. Rev. James R. Crumley, Jr. (1986-1993)
Retired Bishop of the former Lutheran Church in America
Most Rev. Karl Lehmann (1986-1987)
Bishop of Mainz, Germany
Most Rev. Paul-Werner Scheele (1988-1993)
Bishop of Würzburg, Germany

CO-SECRETARIES

Rev. Dr. Eugene Brand, Lutheran (1986-1993)
Msgr. Basil Meeking, Catholic (1986-1987)
Msgr. John Radano, Catholic (1986-1993 )
Prof. Heinz-Albert Raem, Catholic (1990-1993)

FOURTH PHASE (1995-2006)

MEETINGS

1. September 10-16, 1995 – Lärkkulla, Finland
   “Apostolicity of the Church, episcopacy and structures for Christian unity, Eucharist, ethical questions;”
   organizational planning
   NEW NAME: “LUTHERAN-CATHOLIC COMMISSION ON UNITY”
2. September 1-7, 1996 – Rottenburg, Germany
   “Apostolic nature of the Church, Eucharist, ethics and moral issues”
3. August 31 – September 6, 1997 – Dobogókö, Hungary
   “Apostolicity and Eucharist”
4. August 28-September 3, 1998 – Kamien Slaskij (Opole), Poland
   “Apostolicity and Eucharist; reactions to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification”
5. August 26 – September 1, 1999 – Tutzing, Germany
   “From the Apostolic Gospel to the Apostolicity of the Church; Apostolic Succession and Ordained Ministry”
6. September 5-12, 2000 – Bose/Magnano, Italy
   “Apostolicity of the Church: Apostolic Succession and Ordained Ministry; Episkopé, Historical Development
   and Theological Evaluation”
7. September 4-10, 2001 – Smidstrup Strand, Denmark
   “Church Teaching which remains in the Truth; Doctrine and Apostolic Faith in Early and Medieval Church Developments; Scripture (Canon) and Tradition from the Lutheran Perspective; the Concept and Understanding of the Magisterium in Catholic Theology from the Council of Trent to the Second Vatican Council; Ecclesial
   Ministry of Apostolic Teaching from the Lutheran Perspective”
8. August 30 – September 6, 2002 – Würzburg, Germany
   “Apostolicity of the Church: Biblical, Historical and Theological Aspects”
9. July 9-17, 2004 – Baltimore, Maryland (USA)
   “Biblical, historical and systematic theological aspects of apostolicity; Apostolicity of the Church-NT foundations; The apostolic gospel and the apostolicity of the church; Apostolic succession and the ordained ministry; Church teaching which remains in the truth”
10. September 22-30, 2005 – Cassano delle Murge (Bari), Italy
    “Final meeting and preparation of report on The Apostolicity of the Church; identification and assessment of the ‘elements’ of apostolicity in the church and their configuration; issues of apostolic succession; the question of defectus sacramenti ordinis and a universal teaching ministry”
    “The Apostolicity of the Church” – FINAL REPORT and COMMENT

CO-PRESIDENTS

Dr. Béla Harmati
Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Hungary, Lutheran (1996-2006)
Archbishop Alfons Nossol
Archbishop of Opole, Poland (2001-2006)
Prof. Dr. Cardinal Walter Kasper (1996-2001)
Bishop emeritus of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany
Secretary of the Pontificial Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Catholic

CO-SECRETARIES

Rev. Sven Oppegaard, Lutheran (1997-2006)
150 route de Ferney
CH-12 Geneva, Switzerland
Dr. Eugene Brand, Lutheran (1995-1996)
Msgr. Dr. Matthias Türk, Catholic (1999-2006)
Via della Conciliazione, 5
I-00193 Rome, Italy
Msgr. Heinz-Albert Raem, Catholic (1995-1996)
Msgr. John Radano, Catholic (1995-1999)

FIFTH PHASE (2008-2019)

MEETINGS

1. July 20-27, 2009 – Breklum (Hamburg), Germany
   “Discussion on the new theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion and on drafting a resource for the 2017 Reformation anniversary”
2. September 22-29, 2010 – Regensburg, Germany
   “Work aimed at drafting a common position on the 2017 Reform Year; continuation of the theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
3. July 8-15, 2011 – Helsinki, Finland
   “Continuation of work on the document From Conflict to Communion; continuation on theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
4. July 12-19, 2012 – Paderborn, Germany
   “Continuation of work on the document From Conflict to Communion; continuation on theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
5. August 13-20, 2013 -Kyoto, Japan
   “Completion of From Conflict to Communion; continuation on theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
   “From Conflict to Communion” – FINAL REPORT
6. July 20-28, 2015 – Bose, Italy
   “Continuation on theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
7. July 13-21, 2015 – Budapest, Hungary
   “Continuation on theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
8. July 17-21, 2016 – Welwyn Garden City, UK
   “Continuation on theme of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
9. July 18-25, 2017 – Kamień Śląski (Opolo), Poland
   “Work on Report of Baptism and Growth in Communion; celebration of 50 years of international Catholic-Lutheran theological dialogue”
10. July 18-24, 2018 – Klingenthal (Strasbourg), France
    “Work on finalizing report of Baptism and Growth in Communion”
    June 21, 2021 – Geneva and Rome
    Baptism and Growth in Communion. Report of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity. FINAL REPORT and COMMENT

CO-PRESIDENTS

Bishop Dr. Eero Huovinen, Finland (2008-2019)
Bishop emeritus of Helsinki Finland
Bishop Prof. Dr Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Germany (2008-2011)
Bishop Prof. Dr Kurt Koch, Switzerland (2008)
Auxiliary Bishop Prof. Dr Karlheinz Diez, Germany (2012)
Auxiliary Bishop of Fulda
Right Reverend William Kenney, CP (2013-2019)
Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham

CO-SECRETARIES

Prof. Dr Kathryn L. Johnson, Lutheran (2008-2012)
Rev. Dr. Kaisamari Hintikka, Lutheran (2013-2019)
150 route de Ferney
CH-12 Geneva, Switzerland
Msgr. Dr. Matthias Türk, Catholic (2008-2019)
Via della Conciliazione, 5
I-00193 Rome, Italy

September 23, 2023 – LWF 13th General Assembly in Krakow, Poland
DOCUMENT Common Word

SIXTH PHASE (2024- )

MEETINGS

1. November 27-29, 2023 – Rome, Italy
   “The International Catholic-Lutheran Preparatory Group met at the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU) from 27 to 29 November 2023. The participants jointly evaluated the document Baptism and Growth in Communion; at the same time, possible topics for the planned Sixth Phase of the International Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue were discussed”
2. February, 2024 – Geneva, Switzerland
   “The International Catholic-Lutheran Preparatory Group met to discuss possible topics for the planned Sixth Phase of the International Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue which set to begin in 2025; the first part of the next Joint Commission will necessarily focus on preparing a text for the 500th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession”

CO-SECRETARIES

Prof Dr Dirk Lange, Switzerland
150 route de Ferney
CH-12 Geneva, Switzerland

Father Dr Augustinus Sander, OSB
Via della Conciliazione, 5
I-00193 Rome, Italy

SPECIAL COMMISSION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION
DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION

1. August 31 – September 6, 1997 – Dobogókö, Hungary
   Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification – JOINT DECLARATION
2. June 11, 1999 – Geneva, Switzerland
   Joint press conference presenting the “Official Common Statement and Annex” to the Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed October 31, 1999, Augsburg, Germany – COMMON STATEMENT
3. October 31, 1999 – Augsburg, Germany
   Solemn Signing of the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification”** October 26-28 March, 2019 – South Bend, Indiana (USA)
   Consultation of the signers of the JDDJ – (The World Methodist Council affirmed JDDJ in 2006; the Anglican Communion in 2016; and the World Communion of Reformed Churches in 2017)