(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis arrived back in Rome on Tuesday afternoon at the conclusion of his 17th Apsotolic journey abroad which took him to the southern Swedish cities of Lund and Malmo. Earlier in the day he celebrated Mass for the local Catholic community, urging them to follow in the footsteps of the saints of the past.
But the two key events of trip took place the previous day, as the Pope joined Lutheran leaders for a common commemoration of the Protestant Reformation that divided Europe five centuries ago.
Philippa Hitchen reports on the lasting impact this visit may have on the future of Lutheran-Catholic relations…
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While we can’t change the past, we can profoundly transform the way we remember it. That’s the message of the joint statement signed in Lund cathedral on Monday by Pope Francis and by Bishop Younan, president of the World Lutheran Federation.
It’s also a theme at the heart of a 2013 Catholic-Lutheran publication called ‘ From Conflict to Communion ’ which laid the foundation for Monday’s historic events. In six short chapters, the book summarises ways in which historians have looked anew at the Reformation and seen how Luther didn’t want to divide the Church, but rather to reform and clean up what he saw as corrupt, clerical practises. A call that seems strikingly similar to Pope Francis’ denunciation of corruption and clericalism in the Church today. (Perhaps that’s why his critics like to call him ‘the Protestant Pope’).
The roots of this joyful yet poignant common commemoration stretch back over decades of patient, theological dialogue between what one Lutheran leader called ‘the bold prophets’ of the past. Those who worked tirelessly to overcome conflict and division, sometimes at the cost of their own lives.
The divisions of five centuries ago, of course, don’t mean much to the thousands of young people who cheered and sang as their Church leaders entered the packed arena. They’re struggling with the modern conflicts that are still tearing apart communities and taking lives in the Middle East, in Africa, in Asia or in Latin America. Five Catholics and Lutherans, men and women from those different continents spoke publically about the way their faith has given them courage to continue the struggle in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. The Pope and the Lutheran president thanked them for their examples of commitment and service to those most in need.
Both the prayer service in the cathedral and the public event in the arena were moving and uplifting occasions – described by Bishop Younan as “a modern miracle of the Holy Spirit” who touched the hearts of the first disciples two thousand years ago in his native Jerusalem.
So do these events mean that Christian unity is just around the corner? That differences around our visions of Church, Eucharist and Ministry are suddenly overcome? That new arguments over women’s ordination or same-sex relationships are no longer important? No, these old and new issues will require the patient, unglamorous work of theologians for many years to come. But I do believe that Monday’s events model a new way of working together, a new style of engaging with differences and a new sense of shared Christian service, so desperately needed in today’s divided and suffering world.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Tuesday for Sweden’s Catholic community, gathered in an open air stadium in the southern city of Malmo. The Mass, marking the Solemnity of All Saints, followed a day of ecumenical celebrations as the Pope and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation led an unprecedented joint commemoration of the Reformation.
Philippa Hitchen is in Malmo and sent this report on the Mass marking the concluding event of the two day papal visit.
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It’s not often a Pope comes to Sweden, a country with only one diocese, where Catholics number just one percent of the population. Pope John Paul was the last pontiff to visit the country during his 1989 tour of the Scandinavian nations which were the heartland of the Protestant Reformation.
But it was to this small Catholic flock that Pope Francis dedicated his last day in Sweden, urging them to follow in the footsteps of the saints. Despite grey skies and a sharp autumn chill in the air, thousands of people travelled from all over the country and beyond to give the Pope a warm welcome as he entered the stadium at the start of the Mass, accompanied by the Bishop of Stockholm Anders Arborelius.
In his homily, delivered in Spanish with a Swedish translator, the Pope said holiness is not seen so much in great deeds and extraordinary events, but rather in daily fidelity to the demands of our Baptism.
One characteristic of the saints, he said, is that they are genuinely happy people – that’s why they are known as blessed. He recalled in particular the 14th century Saint Bridget of Sweden, co-patron of Europe, and the 20th century Saint Mary Elisabeth Hesselblad, a Swedish nurse whom he canonised in St Peter’s Square earlier this year. Both of them, he stressed, prayed and worked to create bonds of unity and fellowship between Christians, enabling us to jointly commemorate the fifth centenary of the Reformation today.
The example of the saints, Pope Francis said, can encourage us to respond to current challenges with fresh spiritual energy. He concluded with a suggested list of modern Beatitudes to inspire Christians today, including blessed are those who show closeness to the abandoned and marginalised, blessed are those who protect and care for our common home and blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians. Amen.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday, following the celebration of Mass at the Swedbank Stadium in Malmo, recited the Angelus prayer and in his address invited the faithful to express their faith “in prayer, in the sacraments, and in generous service to those who are suffering and in need. I urge you to be salt and light, wherever you find yourselves”, he said.
Below are Pope’s words before the recitation of the Marian prayer
As we conclude this celebration, I would like to express my gratitude to Bishop Anders Arborelius of Stockholm for his kind words, and to the civil authorities and all who helped in the planning and execution of this visit.
I offer a cordial greeting to the President and the Secretary General of the Lutheran World Federation, and to the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden. I also greet the members of the ecumenical delegations and the diplomatic corps present on this occasion, and all those who have joined us in this celebration of the Eucharist.
I thank God that I was able to visit this land and to meet with you, many of whom have come from all over the world. As Catholics, we are part of a great family and are sustained in the same communion. I encourage you to express your faith in prayer, in the sacraments, and in generous service to those who are suffering and in need. I urge you to be salt and light, wherever you find yourselves, through the way you live and act as followers of Jesus, and to show great respect and solidarity with our brothers and sisters of other churches and Christian communities, and with all people of good will.
In our life, we are not alone; we have the constant help and companionship of the Virgin Mary. Today she stands before us as first among the saints, the first disciple of the Lord. We flee to her protection and to her we present our sorrows and our joys, our fears and our aspirations. We put everything under her protection, in the sure knowledge that she watches over us and cares for us with a mother’s love.
Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to keep me in your prayers. I keep you all very present in my own.
Now, together, let us turn to Our Lady and pray the Angelus.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis concluded his 26-hour pastoral visit to Sweden on Tuesday morning by celebrating a Mass in the southern city of Malmo for the nation’s small Catholic community.
Please see below an English translation of Pope Francis’ homily at the Mass in Malmo:
Today, with the entire Church, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. In doing so, we remember not only those who have been proclaimed saints through the ages, but also our many brothers and sisters who, in a quiet and unassuming way, lived their Christian life in the fullness of faith and love. Surely among them are many of our relatives, friends and acquaintances.
Ours, then, is a celebration of holiness. A holiness that is seen not so much in great deeds and extraordinary events, but rather in daily fidelity to the demands of our baptism. A holiness that consists in the love of God and the love of our brothers and sisters. A love that remains faithful to the point of self-renunciation and complete devotion to others. We think of the lives of all those mothers and fathers who sacrifice for their families and are prepared to forego – though it is not always easy – so many things, so many personal plans and projects.
Yet if there is one thing typical of the saints, it is that they are genuinely happy. They found the secret of authentic happiness, which lies deep within the soul and has its source in the love of God. That is why we call the saints blessed. The Beatitudes are their path, their goal, their native land. The Beatitudes are the way of life that the Lord teaches us, so that we can follow in his footsteps. In the Gospel of today’s Mass, we heard how Jesus proclaimed the Beatitudes before a great crowd on the hill by the Sea of Galilee.
The Beatitudes are the image of Christ and consequently of each Christian. Here I would like to mention only one: “Blessed are the meek”. Jesus says of himself: “Learn from me for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Mt 11:29). This is his spiritual portrait and it reveals the abundance of his love. Meekness is a way of living and acting that draws us close to Jesus and to one another. It enables us to set aside everything that divides and estranges us, and to find ever new ways to advance along the path of unity. So it was with sons and daughters of this land, including Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad, recently canonized, and Saint Bridget, Birgitta of Vadstena, co-patron of Europe. They prayed and worked to create bonds of unity and fellowship between Christians. One very eloquent sign of this is that here in your country, marked as it is by the coexistence of quite different peoples, we are jointly commemorating the fifth centenary of the Reformation. The saints bring about change through meekness of heart. With that meekness, we come to understand the grandeur of God and worship him with sincere hearts. For meekness is the attitude of those who have nothing to lose, because their only wealth is God.
The Beatitudes are in some sense the Christian’s identity card. They identify us as followers of Jesus. We are called to be blessed, to be followers of Jesus, to confront the troubles and anxieties of our age with the spirit and love of Jesus. Thus we ought to be able to recognize and respond to new situations with fresh spiritual energy. Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others, and forgive them from their heart. Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized, and show them their closeness. Blessed are those who see God in every person, and strive to make others also discover him. Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home. Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others. Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians. All these are messengers of God’s mercy and tenderness, and surely they will receive from him their merited reward.
Dear brothers and sisters, the call to holiness is directed to everyone and must be received from the Lord in a spirit of faith. The saints spur us on by their lives and their intercession before God, and we ourselves need one another if we are to become saints. Together let us implore the grace to accept this call with joy and to join in bringing it to fulfilment. To our heavenly Mother, Queen of All Saints, we entrust our intentions and the dialogue aimed at the full communion of all Christians, so that we may be blessed in our efforts and may attain holiness in unity.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation on Monday spent the day together in the Swedish cities of Lund and Malmo, leading thousands of people in a common commemoration of the Protestant Reformation.
Philippa Hitchen is in Sweden following this two day papal visit and takes a closer look at the day’s unprecedented events….
Listen:
Before leaving on this historic visit to Sweden, Pope Francis spoke in an interview about the goal of Catholics and Lutherans moving closer together, furthering what he calls the ‘culture of encounter’.
He himself had already encountered the Lutheran president, Palestinian Bishop Munib Younan and General Secretary, Chilean theologian Rev Martin Junge, on several occasions in the Vatican. But the event in Lund cathedral on Monday marked a new step in the relationship between their two communions, as they presided together at a deeply symbolic prayer service, asking forgiveness for sins committed against each other in the past and pledging to work and witness closer together in the future.
Catholics and Lutherans from all parts of the globe were gathered in the ancient cathedral, which echoed with music and song in different languages and diverse religious traditions. From a haunting lament in Aramaic, through many of the well-known Taize chants, to a rhythmic song of thanksgiving from Botswana.
The three leaders processed in at the start of the service behind a colourful wooden cross, painted in typical Latin American style. It’s the handiwork of an artist from San Salvador, whose own life has been a journey from the conflict of civil war, in which he lost family members, to his current role of providing work to keep other young men away from the widespread gang culture.
Wearing simple white cassocks and red stoles, the Pope and the Lutheran leaders led the congregation in prayer, before signing a joint statement pledging to continue the journey from conflict to communion, to make sure that Christian divisions are never again exploited and instrumentalised for political ends.
From the sombre setting of the cathedral, the Pope and the Lutheran leaders then travelled together to the nearby city of Malmo, where thousands of cheering young people were waiting inside the local ice hockey arena. The event, organised by Caritas Internationalis and by the Lutheran World Service featured music and testimonies about the way Catholics and Lutherans are working together on some of the most urgent issues of the day, from supporting refugees to combatting climate change, from educating orphans in Africa to promoting peace in Colombia or Syria.
So will today’s encounters really change the world for the better? Yes, I’m sure that in this northern corner of Europe, where the wars of religion raged, an Argentinian pope, a Palestinian bishop and a Chilean theologian have taken a significant step forward towards the goals of healing and reconciliation. Cardinal Koch of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity called it ‘a new beginning’, and surely that is something to celebrate – even if it has taken us five centuries to achieve.
(from Vatican Radio)…