The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sent theologians and scholars to take part in the 13th National Ecumenical Dialogue last month.

The meeting was in Baltimore at St. Mary's Seminary & University last month.

“It is a privilege to be a part of the 13th round of this ELCA/USCCB dialogue with such a talented group of scholars who appreciate, in such a profound way, why we are meeting and demonstrate the joy of working, praying and living together as one,” Bishop Denis Madden, who is with the Archdiocese of Baltimore and cochaired the event as a USCCB representative, told the USCCB website.

Bishop Patricia Lull of the ELCA St. Paul Area Synod (Minnesota) was the Lutheran cochair.

Other participants that represented the ELCA were Rev. Dr. Katherine Shaner, Rev. Dr. Joy Schroeder, Rev. Dr. Justin Nickel and more. The USCCB sent Dr. Peter Casarella, Sister Susan Wood, Dr. Shawn Colberg and Father David Monaco, as well as others.

The session covered an array of topics. Two of the topics included the relationship between the ordained ministry and the priesthood of the baptized, as well as the role of "synodality," or collaboration among bishops in the discernment of right teaching. Others were the "sacramentality" of ordination and the distinction between bishops and presbyters, particularly the function of collegiality in establishing an office, and the framing of bishops' roles according to the tripartite biblical typology of prophet, priest and king (or shepherd).