The Joint Catholic-Lutheran Commemoration of the Reformation

The day’s events included first a common prayer in Lund Cathedral, led by Pope Francis and Lutheran World Federation President Munib Younan and General Secretary Martin Junge; the procession was led by a Salvadoran cross created for the occasion and involved women and men from every continent and many generations.

The Episcopal Church was invited to attend through our ecumenical partnerships with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American and the Church of Sweden. The Rev. Margaret Rose, Deputy for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, attended on behalf of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The liturgical celebration in Lund was followed in the afternoon with an event at the nearby Malmö sports arena and included a joint commitment between the Lutheran World Federation and Caritas International to work together to alleviate poverty and respond to refugees.

This event included music and testimonies around a large, illuminated floor cross. Anglican and other ecumenical partners from around the globe were represented in this diverse and marvelous gathering of confession, repentance and call to action.

Videos are available at www.lutheranworld.org; you might especially enjoy the press conference, which includes discussions of DotW and Eucharistic hospitality: https://vimeo.com/189685569.

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