Pope Francis urged members of the German Lutheran Church, whom he received in the Vatican, to continue walking the path to unity. Receiving a Delegation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in audience, Pope Francis on Monday recalled his positive 2016 visit to Lund in Sweden to mark the Common Commemoration of the Reformation. Pointing out that “for the [...]
The new head of the Lutheran World Federation says the visit by Pope Francis to Sweden for the joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation marked a “turning point” in relations between the two world communions. Speaking just after an audience in the Vatican, Nigerian Archbishop Musa Panti Filibus said he and his delegation were encouraged by the pope’s words [...]
Indonesian Protestants who are marking the 5th centenary of the Protestant Reformation, have embraced Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium” on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world, calling it a document that can significantly help mend ties among Christians in a country experiencing a surge in religious intolerance. The Reformation was sparked by the publication on [...]
October 31st 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the day on which German theologian Martin Luther published his 95 theses, setting in motion the events of the Protestant Reformation. To mark the occasion, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation on Tuesday issued a joint statement, giving thanks for the spiritual and theological gifts [...]
Pope Francis met with leaders of the World Methodist Councilon Thursday, celebrating fifty years of dialogue between the two Churches. Noting that in the Old Testament, a golden jubilee was a moment to set slaves free, the pope said “we too have been freed from the slavery of estrangement and mutual suspicion”. After fifty years of patient dialogue, he [...]
Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, 24 March, at a reception centre for people seeking asylum [the Centro di Accoglienza per Richiedenti Asilo, or CARA] in Castelnuovo di Porto. Located just a short distance from Rome, the centre provides temporary lodging and services for nearly 900 asylum seekers from [...]
Celebration of Vespers led by Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. Orthodox Archbishop of Italy and Malta Gennadios Zervos and the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome David Moxon For centuries, Catholics and Protestants fought wars. Their divisions were profound and caused wounds. Now, says Francis, the search for [...]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! We have heard the biblical text that, this year, guides the reflection during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is going on this week, from January 18th to 25th. The passage from the First Letter of Saint Peter was chosen by an ecumenical group of Latvia, requested by [...]
Pope Francis tells scholars that Christians and Muslims need to study each other’s faith and values and “draw near each other on tip toes” without “raising dust”. Education about one’s own faith and the faith of others is the most effective antidote to interreligious violence, Pope Francis told participants in a conference on Catholic-Muslim scholarship and [...]
