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Pope to attend Lutheran-Catholic commemoration of Reformation in Sweden


Lund Cathedral

Lund Cathedral

Pope Francis travels to Sweden on 31 October, for the Lutheran-Catholic Joint Commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

A joint statement issued by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has announced that the ecumenical commemoration will be presided by Pope Francis along with Bishop Munib A Younan and Rev Martin Junge, respectively President and General Secretary of the LWF, in collaboration with the Church of Sweden and the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm.

The Joint Commemoration will highlight the solid ecumenical developments between Catholics and Lutherans and the gifts received through dialogue. The event will include a joint celebration based on recently published Catholic-Lutheran 'Common Prayer' liturgical guide.

The LWF is "approaching the Reformation anniversary in a spirit of ecumenical accountability," said Rev Dr Martin Junge. "I'm carried by the profound conviction that by working towards reconciliation between Lutherans and Catholics, we are working towards justice, peace and reconciliation in a world torn apart by conflict and violence."

On behalf of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) said: "By concentrating together on the centrality of the question of God and on a Christocentric approach, Lutherans and Catholics will have the possibility of an ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation, not simply in a pragmatic way, but in the deep sense of faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ."

The local authorities also approve. "It is with joy and expectation" that the Church of Sweden "welcomes the LWF and the Catholic Church", says Church of Sweden Archbishop Antje Jackelén. "We shall pray together with the entire ecumenical family in Sweden", he continued, "that the commemoration will contribute to Christian unity in our country and throughout the world."

These statements are echoed by Anders Arborelius OCD, Bishop of the Catholic Church in Sweden, who said: "The ecumenical situation in our part of the world is unique and interesting. I hope that this meeting will help us look to the future so that we can be witnesses of Jesus Christ and His gospel in our secularized world."

The event in Lund is part of the reception process of the study document From Conflict to Communion, which was published in 2013, and has since been widely distributed to Lutheran and Catholic communities. The document is the first attempt by both dialogue partners to describe together at international level the history of the Reformation and its intentions.

Earlier this year, the LWF and PCPCU sent to LWF member churches and Catholic Bishops' Conferences a jointly prepared 'Common Prayer', which is a liturgical guide to help churches commemorate the Reformation anniversary together. It is based on the study document From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017, and features the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness with the aim of expressing the gifts of the Reformation and asking forgiveness for the division which followed theological disputes.

The year 2017 will also mark 50 years of the international Lutheran-Catholic dialogue, which has yielded notable ecumenical results, of which most significant is the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ). The JDDJ was signed by the LWF and the Catholic Church in 1999, and affirmed by the World Methodist Council in 2006. The declaration nullified centuries' old disputes between Catholics and Lutherans over the basic truths of the doctrine of justification, which was at the centre of the 16th century Reformation.

Pope Francis will arrive at Malmö airport on Monday morning, where the official welcome and a meeting with the prime minister of Sweden will take place. In the afternoon he will visit the Swedish royal family in the Kunghuset Royal Palace in Lund. That afternoon he will participate in the joint ecumenical prayer in the Lutheran Cathedral of Lund, where he will preach. The collaborative work of Lutherans and Catholics with refugees, on climate change and other social issues will be marked at an ecumenical service in the Malmö Arena where Pope Francis will give an address and meet the ecumenical delegations. On Tuesday morning Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in the Swedbak Stadium in Malmö, before returning to Rome.

Bishop William Kenney, an auxiliary in Birmingham, who served in Sweden for 37 years, will be taking part in the Papal visit. He told ICN he thought Pope Francis would be given a warm welcome by the Swedes.

Although only about 5% of the population are regular churchgoers, the Swedes have a strong sense of social justice and have taken in more refugees than any other European country, he pointed out. Bishop Kenney said he thought this was something Pope Francis might mention during his visit.

Bishop Kenney said relations between the churches were good. "Our liturgies look quite similar, and sometimes Catholic refugees have attended Lutheran services when they first arrive because they thought they were Catholic" he said.

The Bishop said he hopes the visit will bring the churches closer to each other. One issue, which may be discussed, he said, is the procedure whereby the Lutheran spouse of a Catholic is allowed to receive Communion on certain occasions. At present, special permission must be given by the bishop. "It would be lovely if this could be simplified" he said.

Source: VIS/ICN

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