Sweden's Lund cathedral to host
first Catholic Mass since Reformation
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| Lubd Cathedral in Sweden is offering hospitality to the Catholic parish of St. Thomas. |
The decision by the Lutheran Church of Sweden to offer a
temporary place of worship to a local Catholic parish reflects the spirit of
Pope Francis' visit to the city in 2016 for a joint ecumenical commemoration of
the Protestant Reformation
By Philippa Hitchen
The medieval cathedral in the southern Swedish city of Lund
will be the setting for a Catholic celebration of the Eucharist for the first
time since the days of the Reformation.
The chaplain of the Lutheran cathedral and the Catholic
parish of St Thomas announced on Tuesday that the initiative follows on from
the historic visit of Pope Francis to the city in October 2016 for a joint
commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Since the Pope and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation
stood together in the ancient cathedral, praying for forgiveness and pledging
themselves to closer spiritual and practical cooperation, Catholics and
Lutherans in Lund have been meeting regularly in each other’s churches for
ecumenical Vespers.
Strengthening Lutheran-Catholic relations
One of the main promoters of this monthly initiative is the
chaplain of the cathedral, Rev Lena Sjöstrand, who says the papal visit to Lund
and the nearby city of Malmö “touched so many people”. She says that
through these continuing celebrations, people are happy to see that the visit
was not merely “a one-off event”, but rather a concrete way of strengthening
relations between the two Christian communities.
This autumn, the Catholic parish of St Thomas will close for
major restoration work and the cathedral has offered to host the community on
Sundays. The first Catholic Mass since the Reformation will be celebrated there
on October 21st and will continue on a weekly basis until the
parish church is ready for use again in the spring.
From Conflict to Communion
Promoters of the initiative note that the development also
reflects the spirit of the 2013 joint document ‘From
Conflict to Communion’, which focused on the fruits of fifty years of
dialogue since the Second Vatican Council.
The ancient cathedral, dating back to the 11th century,
was originally dedicated to St Lawrence and became the religious heart of the
region during the Middle Ages. It is one of the finest examples of Romanesque
architecture in Europe, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Common journey of reconciliation
Beneath its austere stone arches, Pope Francis and the
Lutheran leaders spoke of their “common journey of reconciliation”. They also
signed a joint statement recommitting Catholics and Lutherans to witness more
closely together, “to remove the remaining obstacles” that stand in the way of
full Christian unity.
The statement urges parishes and communities “to be bold and
creative, joyful and hopeful” in their common witness and service to their
neighbours in need. This latest ecumenical initiative is another important milestone,
putting into practice the spirit of that historic encounter.
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