Draft:From Conflict to Communion–Together in Hope

From Conflict to Communion–Together in Hope was an ecumenical commemoration of the 499th anniversary of the Reformation that took place on 31 October 2016 in Lund Cathedral and in the Malmö Arena with representatives of Lutheranism and the Church of Sweden on one side and the Catholic Church on the other. Pope Francis attended as a representative of the Catholic Church and as host together with Bishop Martin Junge [de], and Bishop Munib Younan as a representative of the Lutheran World Federation,[1] and Archbishop Antje Jackelén as a representative of the Church of Sweden.

Background

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Before the memorial day, the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity had produced joint documents, including common liturgical material for Lutherans and Catholics ("The Common Prayer")[2] and the report From Conflict to Community which, among other things, is the consensus version of the events of the Reformation.[3]

31 October 2016 marked the beginning of the 499th anniversary of the Reformation; the reformation is usually considered to have begun when Martin Luther posted 95 theses on the gate of the castle church in Wittenberg on the same date in 1517. The background to From Conflict to Communion–Together in Hope can be traced to a private audience in 2011 between the then Pope Benedict XVI and representatives of the Lutheran World Federation, when Benedict XVI accepted the invitation to participate in the worldwide celebration, to gather in faith in the Triune God in common obedience to the Lord and his word. At that audience it was expressed the desire that the ecumenical meeting would give place to common prayer, the study of history and appreciation of the previous 1,500 years of the churches being one and the same, and to pray for the churches to be united.[4]

From Conflict to Communion–Together in Hope consisted of two performances with Pope Francis. The first took place in Lund Cathedral with a service and common liturgy ("General prayer"). The second in Malmö Arena took place for a larger audience with several Christian actors.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Many ways to take part in Joint Commemoration of the Reformation". The Lutheran World Federation.
  2. ^ "Arkiverade kopian". Archived from the original on 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  3. ^ "Från konflikt till gemenskap" (PDF).
  4. ^ ""FROM CONFLICT TO COMMUNION" PRINCIPLES AND POSSIBILITIES FOR THE ONGOING ECUMENICAL PROCESS(1) - Cardinal Kurt Koch". Archived from the original on 2020-09-20.
  5. ^ "Together in Hope in Malmö Arena". The Lutheran World Federation.
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