Catholics,
Lutherans must ask forgiveness and work together
(Vatican
Radio) Catholics and Lutherans must ask each other for forgiveness for the
scandal of past divisions, as they walk together today in the service of the
poor and needy. That was Pope Francis’ message on Sunday as he visited Rome’s
Evangelical Lutheran Church for an evening prayer service.
After
answering questions from several members of the Lutheran community, the Pope
spoke of the way Jesus guides us all with love, urging us to put service of the
poor at the heart of our lives and ministries.
Speaking
off the cuff, Pope Francis also recalled the persecutions that Catholics and
Lutherans carried out against each other in the past, saying that today we must
ask for forgiveness and choose instead to serve together, just as Jesus chose
to serve us. Let us ask the Lord to help us walk together, the Pope said, not
focusing on what divides us, but on the need to reconcile our differences in
service of those most in need.
In
his written words to the Lutheran community, Pope Francis also spoke about the
importance of shared prayers, joint liturgies and other ways in which
Christians can worship together. He highlighted the week of prayer for
Christian unity in January and the day of prayer for creation on September 1st
as two moments during which Catholics and Lutherans can advance on the path of
this spiritual ecumenism.
Finally
the Pope said it is essential that the Catholic Church continues courageously
and honestly to re-evaluate the intentions of the Reformation and of Martin
Luther in particular, as he strove for a Church that was continually being
reformed (‘Ecclesia semper reformanda’). The recent joint document ‘From
Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Commemoration of the Reformation in
2017’, he said, has taken up this reflection in a very promising way.
Pope
Francis is the third pontiff to visit Rome’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,
following on from his predecessors, Benedict XVI in March 2010 and John Paul II
in December 1983, marking the 5th centenary of Martin Luther’s birth.
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