Leaders of organisations in the Ecumenical world have identified with the cause of the LWF Eleventh Assembly. Those who brought greetings include the General Secretary of the World Cpouncil of Churches, Dr. Olav Tveit.
In his address, he emphasised that the Lutheran insistence on the fact "that we are one because we are sharing the one and same Christ, because we receive the same gift" is something the ecumenical movement needs now "more than ever".
Tveit offered thanks for the contribution of the Lutheran churches to the fellowship of the WCC "both today and in decades past" and highlighted some of the many gifts received from the Lutheran communion. "You are known for your commitment to peace with justice, to mission, diakonia and to ecumenical dialogue and inter-religious cooperation. Let it be so also in the future", he said.
The theme of the Assembly "touches the heart of the gospel and therefore also the heart of our being one in Christ", Tveit said. "When we pray for daily bread", he added, "we acknowledge the body of Christ, the bread of life, given for our salvation, and we experience the hunger of justice that calls us into communion for actions of sharing".
The WCC general secretary acknowledged that "there are several reasons given for why churches are not fully sharing the one bread in the eucharist". However, Tveit added, "in the light of your theme and the affirmation of the one bread, there are even more important theological and moral reasons why we continue to do anything we can do to come to the same table and have a common sharing of the one bread
