On Sunday November 19, the Consortium will cosponsor a Town Hall Meeting with Washington Theological Union?s Student Senate on the controversial Vatican declaration, Dominus Iesus. The dialogue will take place from 3:00-5:00 PM at the Washington Theological Union. Msgr. Paul Langsfeld of Mount St. Mary?s Seminary, Dr. Lucy Hogan of Wesley Seminary, and Dr. James Coriden of the Washington Theological Union will offer prepared comments as a catalyst for audience discussion. Dinner will follow. Since seating is limited and dinner will be provided, those interested are asked to register by calling 202-541-5228 or e-mailing crawford@wtu.edu. The text of the declaration can be found in Origins, the Catholic New Service Documentary Service [September 14, 2000] or online at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/index.htm

---

Trustees of the Washington Theological Consortium have unanimously deplored sections of the Vatican's controversial document, Dominus Iesus, but welcome it as a challenge to WTC's ecumenical mission. At the board's October meeting, Catholic and Protestant directors alike expressed bewilderment at the Vatican's perceived effort to impede the worldwide movement for Christian unity.

A Catholic trustee said he was "outraged at the Vatican's allegation that other churches are defective? [in hierarchy and the Eucharist]. Individual board members, both clergy and laity, acknowledged that they were "angry," "offended," "embarrassed," "upset," "saddened," and "felt betrayed" by the declaration that captured front-page attention around the world when it was issued in early September.

Consortium institutions have collaborated since 1967 to prepare men and women to serve the Catholic, Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, and Lutheran churches. A Presbyterian seminary has been invited to join the Consortium next year. Through the Consortium, member institutions seek to equip and motivate a new generation of clergy and lay leaders to break through denominational walls to serve the wider Church and community.

The Consortium is also considering close collaboration with the InterFaith Conference of Greater Washington to foster understanding among other churches and other faiths, including Judaism and Islam.

Although it was approved by Pope John Paul II, Dominus Iesus was released with little consultation with Catholic ecumenists. The pope later indicated that the document was not intended to denigrate other churches and faiths, and had been misunderstood.

After discussing the text of Dominus Iesus and their feelings about it, the Consortium Board focused on the difficulties and benefits this declaration might present. The Board decided to cosponsor an in-depth public forum on the text with presentations by faculty with varied points of view. [See Consortium to Cosponsor Meeting on Vatican Declaration Dominus Iesus]

---

As part of its renewal efforts, the Consortium Board began last year to invite members of the community to become Friends of the Consortium, who support Consortium ecumenical events and activities. These friends support the Consortium by their prayers, presence and gifts. A good number of such friends partnered with us and participated in Interchurch Marriages, a Consortium event held in March at Catholic University of America. Others have invested in ecumenism by offering their time to serve on Consortium projects or by making monetary gifts to enable the Consortium?s new strategic plans to be implemented.

Those who made financial contributions are listed below. I wish to thank them in particular and to thank all those who in any way have invested their energy in our ecumenical adventure.

John Crossin, OSFS
Executive Director

The Consortium Ecumenism Award is conferred on individuals, ordained or lay, who in their scholarship, teaching, or the practice of ministry contribute in a significant way to the growth of ecumenism. [Resolution of Board of Trustees, April 11, 2000.]

The Ecumenism Committee of the Consortium is soliciting nominations for the first Consortium ecumenism award(s). Candidates for this award are men and women who have served ecumenism nationally or locally. Candidates who are affiliated with the Consortium institutions, such as alumni/ae, are especially welcome. Each nomination should be accompanied by a short curriculum vitae and a one page statement by the nominator indicating the (1) the ecumenical contribution of the nominee and (2) the significance of the nominee for the Consortium. The first award will be given in the year 2001. Further information on the award is available from the Consortium Office.