Integration is the means to prevent prejudice and xenophobia. Regarding immigration, a clear political consensus involving all parties is urgently needed. Historically the Church has nearly always existed as a plurality. According to Protestant understanding, the Church can only exist as a plurality. Unity and diversity belong constitutionally together in a Protestant concept for the unity of the Churches.
Diversity calls for different profiles.
In some circumstances the value of something is not reduced by economic usage, but increased. Joint declarations generally achieve a stronger effect in political and social circles. However Evangelical and Catholic Christians experience particularly how close they, and also the Evangelical and Catholic Churches, are in this way. We should, in any case, respect the convictions of our ecumenical partners, and not expect or even ask them to contravene their convictions. This applies also to the demand to celebrate a joint Holy Communion at the planned Ecumenical Kirchentag in 2003.