Pope Francis meets head of German Evangelical Church
On Monday morning, Pope Francis received in audience Dr. Nikolaus Schneider, Präses
(“President”) of the Evangelical Church (Lutheran) in Germany, who was accompanied
by his wife, and a small group of associates.
The head of the Holy See Press
Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, described the meeting as “very friendly”, noting
the Präses expressed his appreciation for the choosing of the name Francis, “because
it is the name of a saint that truly speaks to all Christians in a very effective
manner.” The Evangelical leader also spoke about his concern for the victims of the
recent flooding which has caused so much suffering in Argentina.
Father Lombardi
said their ecumenical discussions focused on the value of the ecumenism of the martyrs,
to which the Pope gives particular weight, since the blood of the martyrs is something
which profoundly unites the various Christian denominations in a common witness to
Christ.
Dr. Schneider also spoke about the upcoming anniversary of the Reformation
in 2017, which is of course an extremely important commemoration for the Evangelical
Church in Germany. The Pope took the opportunity to remind the Präses of the words
of Pope Benedict XVI in Erfurt, where Martin Luther lived and worked, which have a
particular ecumenical significance in regards to the figure of Luther in particular,
as well as for relations between the Catholic Church and those ecclesial communities
emerging from the Reformation.