Johannes Hanselmann, Evangelical Lutheran Bishop, was passionately committed to bringing to a successful conclusion the accord on the Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. He worked tirelessly for this, right up to his very last moments.

   Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who had retained profound bonds of friendship with Bishop Hanselmann from the time they were both bishops in Munich, was interviewed on Vatican Radio. He said:
"Last November, in the home of my brother in Germany, Bishop Hanselmann and I had our final and most important meeting. At that time, it seemed as though consensus on justification was floundering. However, after spending an entire day of intense discussion together, we came up with solutions to the stumbling blocks which still existed on both sides. Through the formula elaborated in those days, both the World Lutheran Federation and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church were able to recognise that a consensus had been reached on the fundamental points of the Doctrine of Justification."

   Bishop Hanselmann was a renowned figure on the international ecumenical scene. He had been bishop of Munich for 19 years and, from 1977 to 1990, was Vice-President and then President of the World Lutheran Federation. It is due to his efforts that regular meetings were held between members of the World Lutheran Federation and the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians. Eventually these meetings were held annually and this facilitated greatly the progress of the theological dialogue between the two churches. Cardinal Cassidy, President of the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians, in his message to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, acknowledged the importance of his work in ecumenism.

   Bishop Walter Kasper, former President of the Lutheran-Catholic Theological Commission and current Secretary for the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians, speaks of him as "a man of deep spirituality, a minister of God, with his heart open to what the Holy Spirit is saying today to the Church. He was profoundly immersed in the Word of God according to the Lutheran spiritual tradition."

   Less than a year ago, Johannes Hanselmann spoke at a reception held in the Augsburg Town Hall which was hosted by the mayor of Augsburg, Peter Menacher. Present were 34 bishops representing 6 different Churches who, on the invitation of the Focolare Movement, were attending their annual convention in the nearby Ecumenical Centre of the Movement in Ottmaring. His concluding words were: "A new heart and a new spirit! This is what is needed to renew our Churches and our society."

   "Heart and spirit", two qualities with which he was amply endowed and which were expressed in the deep sense of fraternity - his distinguishing mark.
Many years ago, the Catholic Bishop of Aachen, Klaus Hemmerle, now deceased, on meeting Johannes Hanselmann for the first time during the inauguration of the Ecumenical Centre of Ottmaring, had this to say: "I have a most vivid recollection of the way he first approached and greeted me. At that moment, I made the joyful discovery that I had found a true brother."

   This sense of fraternity deepened over the years through his sharing in the spirituality of unity of the Focolare. In 1982, Klaus Hemmerle, had initiated an annual convention for bishops of various Churches. Apart from a few exceptions due to ill-health, Bishop Hanselmann was a faithful participant from 1983 onwards. With the following words, he described the atmosphere at these meetings: "We have tried to see one another as brothers, and with and in that brother we have found God who revealed himself through this fraternity."
As his unity with his brothers and sisters of other Christian traditions grew, so too did the intensity of his commitment to work towards full, visible communion among the Churches. This is the only explanation for his passionate work for unity and his profound joy in knowing that the Declaration of Justification would finally be ratified. He shared this news with his Catholic friends the very day that the official announcement was made.

   In her message of condolence sent on the 5^th of October to his wife, Ruth Hanselmann, and his four children, Chiara Lubich wrote: "What remains in our hearts is a profound gratitude to God for the gift that our beloved Bishop Hanselmann has been for all of us, and a deep admiration for his precious contribution to unity."

From an article by Joachim Schwind - Neue Stadt, Germany

(02-03-2002)