Pope urges Catholics, Lutherans to ask forgiveness for mutual harm

October 21, 2013 - The celebration of 500 years of the Reformation in 2017 should be an occasion for Catholics and Lutherans to “ask forgiveness for the harm they have caused one another and for their offenses committed in the sight of God.” Pope Francis made the exhortation on Monday in an address to a delegation of the 14 Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and representatives of the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity. The Pope commended progress made between them over the five decades not just in theological dialogue, but also in fraternal cooperation in a variety of pastoral settings, and above all, in the commitment to progress in spiritual ecumenism. In commemoration of 50 years of Lutheran-Catholic theological dialogue this year, and in view of 500 years of the Reformation in 2017, the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity recently published a report titled, “From Conflict to Communion. Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017. The Pope said the report is truly important in confronting the reality of the Reformation. He said, “Catholics and Lutherans can ask forgiveness for the harm they have caused one another and for their offenses committed in the sight of God.” The Pope admitted there is no lack of difficulties, and there will be none lacking in the future in their journey towards full communion, and they “will continue to require patience, dialogue and mutual understanding.” “But we must not be afraid!” he urged, reminding them that “unity is not primarily the fruit of our labours, but the working of the Holy Spirit.” The Lutheran World Federation (LWF, founded in 1947, is a global communion of 142 national and regional Lutheran Churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. Evangelical Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan of Palestine and Jordan has been the president of the Lutheran World Federation since 2010.. (Source: Vatican)