(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis departs on a historic visit to Sweden on Monday for a joint commemoration of the Reformation, together with leaders of the Lutheran World Federation. During the 26 hour visit, he’ll also celebrate Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints Day with the small Catholic communities in Sweden and the neighbouring Nordic countries.
It’s the Pope’s 17th foreign trip, but as Philippa Hitchen reports, it’s shaping up to one of his most historic, at least from an ecumenical perspective:
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Next October 2017, marks the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, sparked by the publication of Martin Luther’s famous 95 theses on what he saw as the much needed reforms for the Church of his day.
Nobody is quite sure if he did, dramatically, nail them to the door of the church in Wittenburg, as some historians believe. What is certain though is that over the centuries since then, the event has been commemorated in a polemical and antagonistic way, attempting to prove that one side was right, while the other side was wrong and the cause of all the bloody conflicts that followed.
But over past decades attitudes have radically changed and the ecumenical movement has brought people together across those denominational divides. Historians and theologians have taken a closer, more objective look at what really happened back then and shown that Luther had no intention of dividing the Church. They’ve seen how secular, political interests fanned the flames of theological controversy that could have been resolved with more listening, trust and respect from both sides. And they’ve proved how some of the apparently most divisive theological ideas of Luther’s day are actually what both sides believe, leading to a landmark 1999 document called the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.
All of which is why Catholic-Lutheran relations are now better than ever before and why Pope Francis is going to Sweden to jointly host this first ever ecumenical commemoration, the 499th anniversary, to be precise, to set the tone for celebrations that’ll follow throughout the coming year.
The southern city of Lund is where the Lutheran World Federation was founded in 1947 and it’s in the medieval cathedral here that the Pope and the Lutheran leaders will preside together at a prayer service, featuring thanksgiving for ecumenical progress, repentance for past sins, and hope for a future of shared Christian witness.
Among those welcoming the Pope to Sweden will be the female archbishop of Uppsala, Antje Jackelén, which makes for an interesting encounter, since women’s ordination is one of the major issues dividing the Protestant and Catholic Churches today. The Pope made some polite comments about her in an interview on the eve of his trip, but could she convince him to revisit what some Catholic commentators see as one of the biggest challenges facing their Church today?
Another area of expectation surrounding the visit is whether the Pope will take any further steps towards permitting Catholics and Lutherans to share the Eucharist at the same altar rail. While the practice is currently allowed only in very particular circumstances, Francis went further than any of his predecessors, during a visit to the Lutheran church in Rome recently, to suggest that personal conscience can be as good a guide as anything laid down in canon law.
In the pre-trip interview, the Pope said that praying and working together to help the sick, the poor, the prisoners, is a key way of advancing the cause for unity among all Christians today. Partnering together for justice and peace is one area where even the most secularised citizens in these Nordic countries can agree and work alongside the different Churches and faith organisations.
If the Pope can encourage really creative and stepped up collaboration in this area at least, then maybe, hopefully, that spirit of closeness and encounter, as he calls it, will lead to solutions to the more tricky theological problems as well.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) In his reflection ahead of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis spoke about the day’s Gospel, which told the story of Jesus meeting, and dining with, Zacchaeus, a publican. Because he was a public sinner, and because of his small stature, Zacchaeus had to climb a tree in order to see Jesus when He came to Jericho. When the Lord arrived, He called out, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”
“We can imagine the amazement of Zacchaeus!” Pope Francis said. Jesus’ mission of salvation, he said, includes all humanity, and even extends to Zacchaeus, “a dishonest man, despised by all.” But the gaze of Jesus, the Pope said, “goes beyond sins and prejudices. He sees the person with the eyes of God, which does not stop at past evil, but sees the good future.”
The Holy Father said that, although we sometimes seek to correct or convert sinners by rebuking or reproaching them, Jesus shows us another way: helping someone who has made mistakes to see their true worth, “the worth God continues to see despite everything, despite their mistakes.” This approach, he said, sometimes leads to a positive surprise, it can help the person to grow and change.
Pope Francis concluded his reflection with the prayer: “May the Virgin Mary help us to see the good that is in the people we encounter each day, so that all might be encouraged to bring out the image of God impressed on their hearts.”
Following the Angelus, and after his greetings to various pilgrim groups, Pope Francis asked for prayers for his upcoming voyage to Sweden on the occasion of the commemoration of the Protestant Reformation: “I ask all of you to pray that this voyage might be a new stage in the journey of fraternity toward full communion.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) At the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis noted the beatification in Madrid of four Spanish martyrs: Blessed José Antón Gómez, Antolín Pablos Villanueva, Juan Rafael Mariano Alcocer Martínez and Luis Vidaurrázaga Gonzáles. The four Benedictine priests were killed during the Spanish Civil War.
In his remarks following the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis said, “We praise the Lord, and we entrust to their intercession our brothers and sisters who unfortunately still today, in various parts of the world, are persecuted for their faith in Christ.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed for victims of an earthquake that struck Italy near the town of Norcia on Sunday. The powerful temblor was felt as far away as Rome and Venice.
“I express my closeness to the people of central Italy,” the Pope said. “I pray for the wounded and the families that have suffered major damage; as well as for the personnel” involved in rescue efforts and in aiding the victims.
The Holy Father concluded his remarks with the prayer “May the Risen Lord give them strength, and the Madonna watch over them.”
Sunday’s earthquake was the latest in a series of seismic events to strike central Italy. Earlier this month, Pope Francis visited the area to express his closeness to victims of magnitude 6.2 quake that hit the region in August, killing almost 300 people.
The earthquake that struck Norcia on Sunday was even stronger, measuring approximately 6.5 on the Richter scale. It is believed to be the strongest quake in Italy in decades. No deaths have been reported, but a number of people have been gravely injured. There was widespread devastation, with many buildings, already compromised by earlier quakes, suffering severe damage. The Basilica of St Benedict, built over the birthplace of Sts Benedict and Scholastica; and the nearby Cathedral of Norcia, were both completely destroyed.
The region is still suffering from aftershocks, and victims of the quake have asked for prayers.
(from Vatican Radio)…