Pope Francis returned to Rome Tuesday evening after a 2-day visit to Malmo and Lund in southern Sweden, where he joined the Lutheran World Federation in kicking off a yearlong celebration of 500 years of the Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther that brought about a major split in the Catholic Church. The Pope had two important events on Monday, Oct. 31. His first was a common ecumenical prayer service in the evening with the Lutheran World Federation at Lund Cathedral, where the group was founded in 1947. From there the Pope went to the indoor stadium of Malmo for an ecumenical event with several Christian Churches. Besides the signing of a Declaration of Intent, entitled “Together in Hope” by Caritas Internationalis and the Lutheran World Federation World Service, pledging to recommit themselves to working together in responding to the world’s humanitarian needs, the Malmo event also featured five testimonies from around the world. They were Pranita Biswasi from India, Msgr. Hector Gaviria, Director of Caritas Colombia, Marguerite Barankitse of Burundi, Rose Lokonyen a South Sudanese refugee and athlete, and Chaldean Jesuit Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, Syria. Today we bring you excerpts from the two Asians - Biswasi and Bishop Audo.
Pranita Biswasi is a 26-year old environmentalist and social activist from Jeypore in eastern India’s Odisha state. She spoke about climate change that brings much suffering to the poor, saying, those least responsible are the worst affected.
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