The question of ecclesiastical ministry is in the ecumenical discussion between Catholics and Protestants of highest importance. This question is still unsolved and, at the same time, very pressing since the ecclesiastical community is according to Catholic understanding the indispensable condition of Eucharist community. Since the late 1960's the topic of ministry has been a subject of ecumenical discussion. In the theology of ministry, the agreement has become so widespread that this question can no longer be blamed for the separation of the churches. Yet itis still controversial how the ordained ministry is to be situated in the whole structure of the Church. What is the specific theological relevance of the apostolic succession? Is there a structure of ecclesiastic unity in which the churches are able to approve the ecclesiastic reality of each other as apostolic and their ministries as legal? These are the questions which the following article tackles.

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Personen: Böttigheimer, Christoph

Schlagwörter: Ökumene Katholische Kirche Amtsverständnis