Christians are called to “alleviate together the miseries of the needy and the persecuted. The sufferings of many brothers oppressed because of their faith in Jesus are also a pressing invitation to reach an ever more concrete and visible unity among us. The ecumenism of blood”. Pope Francis said this as he received in audience a delegation from the German Evangelical Lutheran Church this morning. “The Common Commemoration of the Reformation has confirmed to us that ecumenism will continue to mark our path. It is increasingly becoming a necessity and a desire – Pope Francis remarked -, as shown by the various joint prayers and the many ecumenical meetings that took place last year around the world. Let us not forget to start from prayer, so that it is not human plans that indicate the way, but the Holy Spirit: He alone opens the way and enlightens the steps to be taken”.
In his address, the Pope recalled the Commemoration of the Reformation and the meeting in Lund in October 2016. “Let us support one another in the journey, also by carrying forward theological dialogue”, he said. “No ecumenical dialogue can advance if we remain still. We must journey and continue: not with the enthusiasm of running ahead to reach coveted goals, but walking patiently together, under the gaze of God. Some themes – I think of the Church, the Eucharist and the ecclesial ministry – merit precise and well shared reflections. Ecumenism also asks not to be elitist, but to involve as many brothers and sisters as possible in the faith, growing as a community of disciples who pray, love and proclaim. It is on this basis that ecumenical dialogue will help us to progress, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit”.
A delegation from the German National Committee (GNC) of the World Lutheran Federation (WLF) – headed by Vice President Bishop Gerhard Ulrich of Northern Germany, Rev. Astrid Kleist, and Karl-Hinrich Manzke, Vice President for Central and Western Europe in the WLF as well as Bishop of Schaumburg-Lippe – is visiting Italy (2 to 7 June). The programme of the trip – a statement from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy (CELI) reads – includes ecumenical talks in the Vatican (with Pope Francis, in a private audience, with Card. Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and with Archbishop Luis Ladaria, President of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), and various meetings including one with the CELI and its Communities. For more than 50 years, the Lutheran World Federation (especially the German Lutherans) has been engaged in dialogue with the Vatican: the LWF is the largest communion of Lutheran Churches in the world, with more than 74 million faithful and 145 communities in 98 countries, while the GNC represents the twelve Germanic Churches that are members of the Lutheran World Federation and bring together approximately 11.5 million faithful.