Munich (dpa / lby) - Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm has expressed his "heartfelt condolences" to Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. pronounced. "I have great respect for the life's work of the former pope. Especially his theological learning. Many books bear witness to this," he said on Saturday.
Benedict has always strived for ecumenical dialogue and played an important role in the creation of the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with the Lutheran Churches. However, according to Bedford-Strohm, the results of ecumenism are mixed. The declaration "Dominus Jesus", which the then Cardinal Ratzinger published as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2000, "leaved behind injuries that have had an after-effect".
Because: "It says there that the Protestant churches are not 'churches in the proper sense'. The associated idea that the Catholic Church is the actual church and other churches are only 'ecclesiastical communities' is not really a viable concept of ecumenism," wrote the regional bishop.
If you put the terms love and truth, which are particularly important for both Benedict and Francis, side by side, then Benedict's emphasis is more on truth and Francis' emphasis on love, according to Bedford-Strohm's assessment.
"That is also relevant to the question of the common Communion. Do you want to finally clarify all theological questions before a common Communion is possible?" Or do community, love, and relationships demand progress? "When Pope Francis was once asked in the Protestant community in Rome about progress in the common Communion, he said: "Speak to the Lord and go ahead." Pope Benedict would probably not have said this sentence."
