Pope to commemorate Luther in bid for reconciliation

Pope Francis and Lutheran reverend Martin Junge

 VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis is to visit Sweden to take part in an historic ceremony commemorating Martin Luther, a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. The event, to be held in Lund on October 31, will mark the half millennium of Luther's split from the Catholic church.

 The pope will jointly chair the ceremony, alongside Bishop Munib A. Younan and reverend Martin Junge, president and secretary general of the Lutheran World Federation. Commenting on the proposed visit, Junge said that, "I am profoundly convinced that in striving towards the reconciliation between Lutherans and Catholics, we will achieve justice, peace and reconciliation in a world torn apart by conflicts and violence."

 The announcement comes at the end of a week of prayer for Christian unity, during which Pope Francis stated that "as Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Catholic Church, I would like to ask benevolence and forgiveness for the non-Evangelical behaviour shown on the part of Catholics towards Christians from other Churches. We cannot undo what has already been done, but we do not want to allow the weight of past faults to continue to muddy our relations. God's forgiveness will renew our relationship."   ft