Pope Francis received an ecumenical delegation from Finland - in Rome on their annual pilgrimage for the feast of St. Henry, patron saint of Finland. The annual visit to the Successor of St. Peter is a tradition that dates back 30 years, when St. John Paul II received the first ecumenical delegation of Catholics & Lutherans. Pope Francis quoted St. John Paul on 1st visit: The delegation is a witness to the 1 common faith of the whole of Christianity. Your visit comes in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which concludes Sunday. This weeks theme of Prayer for Christian Unity Give Me to Drink (Jn. 4:1-42) reminds us that the source of all grace is the Lord Himself. As the Gospel tells us, many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. A shared Christian witness is very much needed in the face of the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain & suffering experienced so widely in today’s world. Progress in theological dialogue between Lutherans & Catholics can help sustain a common Christian witness. Lets hope further convergence will emerge from that dialogue on the concept of the Church, sign & instrument of salvation brought to us in Jesus Christ. I hope that the ecumenical delegation’s visit to Rome will continue to strengthen relations between Lutherans & Catholics in Finland.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 18:13:15 +0000
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