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October 27, 2016

Ecumenical papal trip: Touching the Christian heart of secular Sweden

A statue of Martin Luther is seen onstage as Pope Francis arrives for an audience with a pilgrimage of Catholics and Lutherans from Germany in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Oct. 13. The pope will visit Sweden Oct. 31-Nov. 1 for commemorations of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis' recent insistence on "walking ecumenism," the notion that Christians will draw closer to each other as they work together to help the poor, should resonate well with Lutherans and Catholics in Sweden.

Published in Faith
October 26, 2016

Ecumenical papal trip also will show pain of division, Lutheran says

The Rev. Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, speaks at a Vatican news conference Oct. 26. Rev. Junge says the Pope celebrating Mass with Swedish Catholics the day after Reformation anniversary events shows that the churches are not yet united.

VATICAN CITY – The extension of Pope Francis' trip to Sweden by one day to accommodate a papal Mass for the nations' Catholics does not detract from the ecumenical power of the trip, but actually highlights the need for Christian unity, said the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

Published in Vatican