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Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates 80th Birthday
Abstract: Birthday greetings from LWF President to Pope Benedict.
In a letter of congratulations to Pope Benedict XVI for his upcoming birthday, 
the president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Bishop Mark Hanson, has written "I pray that your ministry of vision and friendship as Bishop of Rome and primate of the Roman Catholic Church will continue for many years to come." The Pope celebrates his 80th birthday on Monday, 16 April.
Hanson, who is also presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, noted that the 10th anniversary of the 1999 signing of the historic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification is only two years away. He expressed his desire that the 2009 celebrations "will take into account the magnitude of this declaration for our communions today and likewise capture the urgency of our work together tomorrow."
