Department of Ecumenism

The Department of Ecumenism of the Archdiocese of Paderborn is located at the Möhler-Institute.

History and areas of work of the Department of Ecumenism

“I cannot utter the word peace in this hour without thinking of our protestant brothers in faith in the love of the Good Shepherd.” With this, for the year 1941 absolutely uncommon and surprising signal in his sermon at his ordination as a bishop, Archbishop Lorenz Jaeger started his work for understanding and reconciliation between the Christian churches. In founding the Jaeger-Staehlin-Circle, today’s Ecumenical working group of protestant and catholic theologians, the future Cardinal Jaeger reinforced his ecumenical impulses. In 1957 he founded the Johann-Adam-Möhler-Insitute for Ecumenism. His successors Cardinal Johannes-Joachim Degenhardt and Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker took over this ecumenical task of the archdiocese and developed it further.

Since the Second Vatican Council the Department for Ecumenism and the Commission for Ecumenism of the Diocese are linked together in the dioceses ecumenical mission. Since the 1970s the Archdiocese of Paderborn is as well represented by delegates in the Working Group of Christian Churches (ACK) of North Rhine-Westphalia and helps to shape its ecumenical activities. Every year the archbishop meets with the leading clergy of the Protestant Church of Westphalia and the Church of Lippe as well as with representatives of the Regional ecclesiastical offices for joint consultations.

In the year 1999 the diocese celebrated 1200 years since its establishment and set a sign with an ecumenical Vespers where leading clergy of the neighboring Regional Churches, orthodox bishops that live on the territory of the archdiocese of Paderborn and representatives of the Working Group of Christian Churches were present. In the following years this service in the jubilee-year developed into a yearly ecumenical Vespers every Sunday before Pentecost.

Diocesan Commission for Ecumenism in the Archdiocese of Paderborn:

The members of the Diocesan Commission meet four times a year for consultations and planning, to give ecumenical impulses (e.g. for regional ecumenical days in parishes). This involves a yearly meeting with the Committee for Mission, Ecumenism and Global Responsibility of the Protestant Church of Westphalia.

Directors: Msgr. Dr. Michael Hardt, Pfarrer Bernhard Brackhane (Menden), Dr. Andreas Burger (Dortmund), Domkapitular Dechant Josef Dieste (Halle), Armin Hierl (Dortmund), Helene Kassel (Siegen), Konrad Nagel-Strotmann (Paderborn), Gertrud Weßling (Werther), Pfarrer Wolfgang Winkelmann (Siegen), Domkapitular Pfarrer Gisbert Wisse (Korbach).

Diocesan Papers and Publications:

• Ehe. Ökumenisches Basiswissen (2013). (Zusammen mit dem Konfessionskundlichen Institut des Evangelischen Bundes, Bensheim).
• Ökumenischer Gottesdienst zum Schöpfungstag, 2011/ 2012.
• Gelebte Ökumene – Eine Projektsammlung aus den Gemeinden des Erzbistums Paderborn 2010.
• Diözesane Richtlinien für den Abschluss von Verträgen über die gemeinsame Nutzung katholischer Kirchengebäude, Pfarrheime und Gemeindezentren mit evangelischen Kirchengemeinden, Kirchliches Amtsblatt 2008 /Stück 12, Nr.171, Sp.194f.
• Leitlinien: Ökumenische Gemeindepartnerschaften am Ort. Leitlinien aus der evangelisch-katholischen Kommission der (Erz-)Bistümer Paderborn und Münster, der Evangelischen Kirche von Westfalen und der Lippischen Landeskirche, 2005.
• Charta Oecumenica, Kurzfassung, erarbeitet durch die Bistumskommission für Ökumene im Erzbistum Paderborn 2002.
• Handreichung Orthodoxie, erarbeitet von der Bistumskommission für Ökumene im Erzbistum Paderborn, 2000.
• Einladung zur Taufe: Gemeinsamer Taufflyer der (Erz-)Diözesen Paderborn und Münster, der Evangelischen Kirche von Westfalen und der Lippischen Landeskirche.
• Hilfen für die ökumenische Arbeit in den Gemeinden, erarbeitet von der Bistumskommission für Ökumene im Erzbistum Paderborn, 2. überarbeitete Auflage, Paderborn 1992.

Ecumenical Day of Creation

Handouts on how to organize services and events for an Ecumenical Day of Creation 2015 can be found in the course of the year on the Homepage of the ACK.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The week of prayer 2015 stands under the theme “Give me to drink”.

The week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated every year, either from Jan 18-25 or in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost.

Since 1968 the yearly themes and texts are worked out by a Commission of representatives of the Papal Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Ecumenical Council of Churches. Template is a draft that comes from another country every year and centers on a biblical theme.

The texts of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2015 were prepared by a Working Team in Canada. The german version of the order of worship is issued and published by the Working Group of Christian Churches through the “Ökumenische Centrale” in Frankfurt/Main. The working materials (Worship patterns, posters, workbooks) are available on the Website of the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland”.