Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy

Last updated

The Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy (Italian : Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia, German : Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Italien, abbreviated CELI or ELKI) is a Protestant denomination in the Lutheran tradition in Italy.

Contents

Founded in 1949, [1] the CELI/ELKI, which includes both German- and Italian-speaking communities, is a member of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy (FCEI) and of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). [2]

The first Lutheran community in Italy was formed in Venice in 1650. Within the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, Lutheran churches were formed in Trieste (1778), Merano (1861) and Bolzano (1889). Under Prussian influence, communities were formed in Rome (1819), Naples (1826) and Florence (1899). Finally, German-speaking citizens established churches in Milan (1850), Sanremo (1870) and Genoa (1896). Lutheranism flourished in Naples and Torre Annunziata thanks to the missionary work of pastor Idelmo Poggioli. All the aforementioned communities were gathered in the CELI/EKLI since 1949. Other churches were formed, notably in Catania (1991), Verona (2008) and Turin (2009), [1] under the supervision of CELI/ELKI, which was a founding member of the FCEI in 1967. [3]

The denomination includes 15 communities, some of which covering entire regions, [4] and about 7,000 baptized members. [5]

The CELI/ELKI allows the ordination of women and the blessing of same-sex unions, [6] in line with other FCEI denominations.

See also

Related Research Articles

The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran denominations. Member bodies of the ILC hold "an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and infallible Word of God and to the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord as the true and faithful exposition of the Word of God." The member church bodies are not required to be in church-fellowship with one another, though many of them are.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestant Church of Switzerland</span> Swiss association

The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), formerly named Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches until 31 December 2019, is a federation of 25 member churches – 24 cantonal churches and the Evangelical-Methodist Church of Switzerland. The PCS is not a church in a theological understanding, because every member is independent with their own theological and formal organisation. It serves as a legal umbrella before the federal government and represents the church in international relations. Except for the Evangelical-Methodist Church, which covers all of Switzerland, the member churches are restricted to a certain territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Italy</span>

Christianity in Italy is characterised by the predominance of the Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldensian Evangelical Church</span> Italian Protestant denomination

The Waldensian Evangelical Church is a Protestant denomination active in Italy and Switzerland that was independent until it united with the Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy in the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches. Founded in the 12th century by Peter Waldo as a proto-Protestant group, since the 16th century Reformation it has adopted Calvinist theology and blended into the wider Calvinist tradition. It is one of several Protestant denominations with pre-Reformation roots, and is appraised by various denominations of Protestantism as its major successor.

The Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches is an Italian united Protestant denomination.

The Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy, known also as Italian Methodist Church, is a Protestant church in the Methodist tradition active in Italy that was independent until it united with the historical Waldensian Evangelical Church to form the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches. As such, it was part of the World Methodist Council.

The Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy is an ecumenical Protestant body in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church</span>

The Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church (Spanish: Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Boliviana is a Protestant Church denomination located in Bolivia that professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity. Formed in 1972 by Lutheran missionaries from the United States, the church takes its members primarily and entirely from the indigenous people of Bolivia such as the Aymara and Quechua, with its members scattered across the Bolivian highlands and in and around La Paz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism in Italy</span> The largest minority of Christian denominations in Italy

Protestantism in Italy comprises a minority of the country's religious population.

The Federation of Pentecostal Churches is a fellowship of Pentecostal churches in Italy.

The Evangelical Reformed Baptist Churches in Italy, or CERBI, is an association of Reformed Baptist churches formed on 25 April 2006 in Bologna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelical Church of the River Plate</span>

The Evangelical Church of the River Plate is a United, Protestant denomination with congregations in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is named after the Río de la Plata Basin, where the majority of its congregations are located. The IERP was affiliated with the Evangelical Church in Germany from 1934–1965, when it became independent. The church ordains women as ministers and supported civil unions and same-sex marriage. It has approximately 27,500 members.

The Assemblies of God in Italy, whose full name is Evangelical Christian Churches Assemblies of God in Italy, is a fellowship of evangelical and Pentecostal churches which functions as the Italian branch of the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies, while being in communion with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship as well.

The Spanish Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Confessional Lutheran church. It is in communion with other confessional Lutheran churches in the European Lutheran Conference (ELC) and globally in the International Lutheran Council (ILC). It adheres unreservedly to the historical confessions of Lutheran Church: the Book of Concord of 1580, which they see as being in agreement with Holy Scripture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil</span>

The Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil is a Lutheran denomination in Brazil. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1952. It is a member of the Latin American Council of Churches, the National Council of Christian Churches and the World Council of Churches. The denomination has 1.02 million adherents and 634,286 registered members.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile is a Lutheran denomination in Chile. The church has 2,500 members in 13 parishes. It has been a member of the Lutheran World Federation since 1955 and is also a member of the World Council of Churches and the Latin American Council of Churches. Its president is Bishop Izani Bruch.

The Evangelical Christian Church of the Brethren is an Italian Protestant denomination.

The Apostolic Church in Italy is an Italian Protestant denomination in the Pentecostal-evangelical tradition founded in 1927, which is part of the worldwide fellowship of the Apostolic Church and the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, an ecumenical body representing Italian Protestants. Its headquarter is in Grosseto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ljudevit Vuličević</span> Serbian writer

Ljudevit Vuličević was an Italian-language writer and cleric who was known for his Serbian and pan-Slavic patriotism.

References

  1. 1 2 "Che cos'è la CELI". Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Relazioni Ecumeniche". Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "F C e I - Federazione delle Chiese Evangeliche in Italia - Presidente". Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  4. ↑ "Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia". Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "F C e I - sito web ufficiale della Federazione delle Chiese Evangeliche in Italia". Archived from the original on 2014-08-21. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  6. ↑ "ChangingAttitude: The Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy says yes to the blessing of same-sex couples, May 31, 2011". Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.