Pope to take part in Reformation events in Swedish
cities of Lund and Malmö
(Vatican Radio) The Lutheran
World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on
Wednesday released details of the ecumenical events that Pope Francis will attend
in southern Sweden on October 31st 2016. The joint Lutheran-Catholic
commemoration will mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and will
feature a liturgy in Lund cathedral, followed by a public event at an arena in
the nearby city of Malmö.
The commemoration, structured
around the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness,
will also celebrate the fruits of 50 years of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue.
The prayer service in
Lund cathedral will be led by Pope Francis, LWF President Bishop Munib Younan
and LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge, based on a shared liturgical guide
and the joint report entitled ‘From Conflict to Communion’. The event in the
Malmö arena will showcase the common witness of the LWF’s World Service and
Caritas Internationalis, including their work to care for refugees,
peacebuilding, and advocacy for climate justice.
The full programme of Pope
Francis’ visit to Sweden, including a Mass with the country's Catholic
community on the morning of November 1st, will be published at a later date.
Please find below the full
text of the joint press release from the Lutheran World Federation (LFW) and
the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU)
Joint Ecumenical
Commemoration to be held in Lund Cathedral and Malmö Arena
GENEVA, VATICAN CITY, 1 June
2016 - The joint Lutheran-Catholic ecumenical commemoration of the 500th
anniversary of the Reformation on 31 October in Lund, Sweden will consist of
two parts. It will begin with a liturgy in Lund Cathedral and continue with a
public event at Malmö Arena that will be open to wider participation.
The Lutheran World Federation
(LWF) and Roman Catholic Church joint event will highlight the 50 years of
continuous ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans and the joint
gifts of this collaboration. The Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of 500 years
of the Reformation is structured around the themes of thanksgiving, repentance
and commitment to common witness. The aim is to express the gifts of the Reformation
and ask forgiveness for division perpetuated by Christians from the two
traditions.
Lund Cathedral will be the
venue for the common prayer service based on the recently published
Catholic-Lutheran “Common Prayer” liturgical guide that is based on the report
From Conflict to Communion. Malmö Arena will be the stage for activities
focusing on the commitment to common witness and service of Catholics and
Lutherans in the world. Highlights of the joint work of LWF World Service and
Caritas Internationalis will be featured,including care for refugees,
peacebuilding, and advocacy for climate justice. The arena can host up to
10,000 people.
Pope Francis, LWF President
Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge will
lead the common prayer service in Lund and the event in Malmö in cooperation
with leaders from Church of Sweden and the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm.
“There is power when
communities find their way out of conflict. In Christ we are encouraged to
serve together in this world. The joint commemoration is a witness to the love
and hope we all have because of the grace of God,” LWF President Younan and
General Secretary Junge say.
Kurt Cardinal Koch, President
of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity explains further: “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.”
“We look forward to this
event which can gather up to 10,000 people. The idea behind the arena event is
to further describe the development from conflict to communion with a focus on
hope for the future and common service in the world,” says Church of Sweden
Archbishop Antje Jackélen.
Bishop Anders Arborelius of
the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm adds, “History will be written when Pope
Francis and the LWF leaders visit Lund and Malmö to encourage all of us to go
further on the road towards Christian unity.”
Information on the Joint
Ecumenical Commemoration will be updated on the event website www.lund2016.net
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