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On the occasion of Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Sweden, Caritas Internationalis and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) ’s World Service sign a Declaration of Intent, to strengthen collaboration and cooperation. 

Through the signing, the humanitarian and development arms of the two Churches recommit themselves to working together in responding to the world’s humanitarian needs. Pope Francis is in Sweden for the ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

In Africa, cooperation between Lutherans and Catholics is alive and well. In Zambia, for example, the signing ceremony will be seen as the cementing of a cordial relationship that has existed for years. Cooperation in the humanitarian and development areas has actually been going on for a long time. 

Christian denominations, in Zambia, tend to cooperate directly or through an alliance and platform popularly referred to (in the country) as the “three Church Mother bodies.” 

The three Church mother bodies comprise the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB); the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) which represents Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches as well as the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ). CCZ is the umbrella body for Protestant churches that traditionally are also members of the World Council of Churches.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia is a member of the Lutheran World Federation. With regard to size and numbers, there are not that many Lutheran Churches in Zambia. Notwithstanding this fact, the Lutheran Church in Zambia is spiritually vibrant and pulls more than its weight regarding humanitarian and development activities. As a core member of the three Church mother bodies in Zambia, the Lutheran Church participates and collaborates actively in the health and education sectors of the country. The Church mother bodies are also very outspoken on advocacy issues to do with democracy and the republican constitution.

Lutherans and Catholics have worked and continue to collaborate on HIV/AIDS and in the Malaria eradication campaigns under the auspices of the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ). The two Churches have been active in the management and implementation of Global Fund grants. In Zambia, Global Fund grants are channelled to Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) through CHAZ. 

Although the care of refugees in Zambia is a major reponsibility of the government and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Refugees have always been an important area of concern for both the Catholic Church and Lutherans. The Catholic Church in Zambia’s over fifty-year tradition of advocacy and care for refugees is equal to that of Lutherans. The latter started to care for refugees in Zambia when  Mayukwayukwa refugee camp was established to care for Angolans fleeing war in their homeland. Lutherans were also the lead agency for UNHCR Zambia’s Maheba camp and in 1986 when Ukwimi camp for Mozambican Refugees in the eastern part of the country was commissioned. 

It is therefore not surprising that the Declaration of Intent that re-commits the strengthening of collaboration between Caritas Internationalis and Lutheran World Federation/ World Service is being signed as Pope Francis is on this apostolic visit.  

Underlining the importance of the signing event, Caritas Internationalis’ Secretary General Michel Roy said the ecumenical activities in Sweden are more than commemoration. They also signal the start of concrete action by Lutherans and Catholics in service of the world’s poor.

(Fr. Paul Samasumo, Vatican Radio)

Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va

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(Vatican Radio) Saying Christian unity is a priority, Pope Francis spoke on Monday about the fruits of the ongoing dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church and said this mutual dialogue has “confirmed our desire to advance towards full communion.” Addressing an ecumenical event in the Swedish city of Malmö, the Pope also spoke about practical cooperation between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation exemplied by the signing of a joint statement between Caritas Inernationalis and the Lutheran World Federation World Service (its charitable arm) to promote human dignity and social justice across the world. 

Please find below an English transcript of the Pope’s prepared remarks at the ecumenical event in Malmö:

I thank God for this joint commemoration of the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation.  We remember this anniversary with a renewed spirit and in the recognition that Christian unity is a priority, because we realize that much more unites us than separates us.  The journey we have undertaken to attain that unity is itself a great gift that God gives us.  With his help, today we have gathered here, Lutherans and Catholics, in a spirit of fellowship, to direct our gaze to the one Lord, Jesus Christ.

Our dialogue has helped us to grow in mutual understanding; it has fostered reciprocal trust and confirmed our desire to advance towards full communion.  One of the fruits of this dialogue has been cooperation between different organizations of the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church.  Thanks to this new atmosphere of understanding, Caritas Internationalis and the Lutheran World Federation World Service will today sign a joint agreed statement aimed at developing and strengthening a spirit of cooperation for the promotion of human dignity and social justice.  I warmly greet the members of both organizations; in a world torn by wars and conflicts, they have been, and continue to be, a luminous example of commitment and service to neighbour.  I encourage you to advance along the path of cooperation.

I have listened closely to those who gave the witness talks, how amid so many challenges they daily devote their lives to building a world increasingly responsive to God’s plan.  Pranita talked about creation.  Clearly, creation itself is a sign of God’s boundless love for us.  Consequently, the gifts of nature can themselves lead us to contemplate God.  I share your concern about the abuses harming our planet, our common home, and causing grave effects on the climate.  As you rightly mentioned, their greatest impact is on those who are most vulnerable and needy; they are forced to emigrate in order to escape the effects of climate change. All of us, and we Christians in particular, are responsible for protecting creation.  Our lifestyle and our actions must always be consistent with our faith.  We are called to cultivate harmony within ourselves and with others, but also with God and with his handiwork.  Pranita, I encourage you to persevere in your commitment on behalf of our common home.

Mgr Héctor Fabio told us of the joint efforts being made by Catholics and Lutherans in Colombia.  It is good to know that Christians are working together to initiate communitarian and social processes of common interest.  I ask you to pray in a special way for that great country, so that, through the cooperation of all, peace, so greatly desired and necessary for a worthy human co-existence, can finally be achieved.  May it be a prayer that also embraces all those countries where grave conflicts continue.

Marguerite made us aware of efforts to help children who are victims of atrocities and to work for peace.  This is both admirable and a summons to take seriously the countless situations of vulnerability experienced by so many persons who have no way to speak out.  What you consider a mission has been a seed that has borne abundant fruit and today, thanks to that seed, thousands of children can study, grow and enjoy good health.  I am grateful that even now, in exile, you continue to spread a message of peace.  You said that everybody who knows you thinks that what you are doing is crazy.  Of course, it is the craziness of love for God and our neighbour.  We need more of this craziness, illuminated by faith and confidence in God’s providence.  Keep working, and may that voice of hope that you heard at the beginning of your adventure continue to move your own heart and the hearts of many young people.

Rose, the youngest, gave us a truly moving testimony.  She was able to profit from the talent God gave her through sport.  Instead of wasting her energy on adverse situations, she found fufilment in a fruitful life.  While I was listening to your story, I thought of the lives of so many young people who need to hear stories like yours.  I would like everyone to know that they can discover how wonderful it is to be children of God and what privilege it is to be loved and cherished by him.  Rose, I thank you from the heart for your efforts and your commitment to encouraging other young women to go back to school, and for the fact that you pray daily for peace in the young state of South Sudan, which so greatly needs it.

After hearing these powerful witnesses, which make us think of our own lives and how we respond to situations of need all around us, I would like to thank all those governments that assist refugees, displaced persons and asylum-seekers.  For everything done to help these persons in need of protection is a great gesture of solidarity and a recognition of their dignity.  For us Christians, it is a priority to go out and meet the outcasts and the marginalized of our world, and to make felt the tender and merciful love of God, who rejects no one and accepts everyone.

Shortly we will hear the testimony of Bishop Antoine, who lives in Aleppo, a city brought to its knees by war, a place where even the most fundamental rights are treated with contempt and trampled underfoot.  Each day the news tells us about the unspeakable suffering caused by the Syrian conflict, which has now lasted more than five years.  In the midst of so much devastation, it is truly heroic that men and women have remained there in order to offer material and spiritual assistance to those in need.  It is admirable too, that you, dear brother, continue working amid such danger in order to tell us of the tragic situation of the Syrian people.  Every one of them is in our hearts and prayers.  Let us implore the grace of heartfelt conversion for those responsible for the fate of that region.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us not become discouraged in the face of adversity.  May the stories we have heard motivate us and give us new impetus to work ever more closely together.  When we return home, may we bring with us a commitment to make daily gestures of peace and reconciliation, to be valiant and faithful witnesses of Christian hope.

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation on Monday spent the day together in the Swedish cities of Lund and Malmo, leading thousands of people in a common commemoration of the Protestant Reformation.

Philippa Hitchen is in Sweden following this two day papal visit and takes a closer look at the day’s unprecedented events….

Listen:

Before leaving on this historic visit to Sweden, Pope Francis spoke in an interview about the goal of Catholics and Lutherans moving closer together, furthering what he calls the ‘culture of encounter’.

He himself had already encountered the Lutheran president, Palestinian Bishop Munib Younan and General Secretary, Chilean theologian Rev Martin Junge, on several occasions in the Vatican. But the event in Lund cathedral on Monday marked a new step in the relationship between their two communions, as they presided together at a deeply symbolic prayer service, asking forgiveness for sins committed against each other in the past and pledging to work and witness closer together in the future.

Catholics and Lutherans from all parts of the globe were gathered in the ancient cathedral, which echoed with music and song in different languages and diverse religious traditions. From a haunting lament in Aramaic, through many of the well-known Taize chants, to a rhythmic song of thanksgiving from Botswana.

The three leaders processed in at the start of the service behind a colourful wooden cross, painted in typical Latin American style. It’s the handiwork of an artist from San Salvador, whose own life has been a journey from the conflict of civil war, in which he lost family members, to his current role of providing work to keep other young men away from the widespread gang culture.

Wearing simple white cassocks and red stoles, the Pope and the Lutheran leaders led the congregation in prayer, before signing a joint statement pledging to continue the journey from conflict to communion, to make sure that Christian divisions are never again exploited and instrumentalised for political ends.

From the sombre setting of the cathedral, the Pope and the Lutheran leaders then travelled together to the nearby city of Malmo, where thousands of cheering young people were waiting inside the local ice hockey arena. The event, organised by Caritas Internationalis and by the Lutheran World Service featured music and testimonies about the way Catholics and Lutherans are working together on some of the most urgent issues of the day, from supporting refugees to combatting climate change, from educating orphans in Africa to promoting peace in Colombia or Syria.

So will today’s encounters really change the world for the better? Yes, I’m sure that in this northern corner of Europe, where the wars of religion raged, an Argentinian pope, a Palestinian bishop and a Chilean theologian have taken a significant step forward towards the goals of healing and reconciliation. Cardinal Koch of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity called it ‘a new beginning’, and surely that is something to celebrate - even if it has taken us five centuries to achieve. 

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Vatican City, Oct 31, 2016 / 11:34 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Hours after landing in Sweden Pope Francis said that without God we can do nothing, but with him Catholics and Lutherans can work toward greater unity – not in order to forget the past, but to heal it so all Christians can be better witnesses of God’s mercy.

“Jesus reminds us: ‘Apart from me, you can do nothing.’ He is the one who sustains us and spurs us on to find ways to make our unity ever more visible,” the Pope said Oct. 31.

“Certainly, our separation has been an immense source of suffering and misunderstanding, yet it has also led us to recognize honestly that without him we can do nothing; in this way it has enabled us to understand better some aspects of our faith.”

The Pope’s homily was made jointly with a sermon by Rev. Martin Junge, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, during a common prayer service between Lutherans and Catholics at the Lund Cathedral in Sweden.

Pope Francis is in Sweden Oct. 31-Nov. 1 as part of a joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The event also marks 50 years of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation.

It is the first time a Pope has traveled to Scandinavia since St. John Paul II’s 1989 visit. Though only two days, following the ecumenical prayer at Lund’s Lutheran cathedral, the trip will also include a larger, primary ecumenical event at the Malmö Arena in Malmö.

The two ecumenical events will be followed by an outdoor papal Mass the next day at the Swedbank Stadium in Malmö marking All Saints Day.

The common prayer service included religious songs, scripture readings and prayers by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Pope Francis, alongside Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation and Rev. Junge.

During the service Catholics and Lutherans also read out five joint ecumenical commitments, including the commitment to always begin from a perspective of unity. Pope Francis and Bishop Younan then signed a joint statement together.

The Pope’s sermon reflected on the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John, where it likens God the Father to the vine grower, “who tends and prunes the vine in order to make it bear more fruit.”

Both sermons spoke about the image of the vine as indicating Christ’s desire for unity among his people. Just as Jesus, the “true vine,” is one with the Father, in order to bear fruit we must also be one with him, Francis said.
 
“The Father is constantly concerned for our relationship with Jesus, to see if we are truly one with him,” Pope Francis said. “He watches over us, and his gaze of love inspires us to purify our past and to work in the present to bring about the future of unity that he so greatly desires.”  

The words spoken by Jesus at the Last Supper, “abide in me as I abide in you,” allow us to “peer into the heart of Christ just before his ultimate sacrifice on the cross,” he said.

“We can feel his heart beating with love for us and his desire for the unity of all who believe in him. He watches over us, and his gaze of love inspires us to purify our past and to work in the present to bring about the future of unity that he so greatly desires.”

We must recognize, the Pope reminded, that the division existing between Catholics and Lutherans since the Reformation has been perpetuated throughout history by the powerful, while the intuition of the faithful is to yearn for unity.

“Certainly, there was a sincere will on the part of both sides to profess and uphold the true faith, but at the same time we realize that we closed in on ourselves out of fear or bias with regard to the faith which others profess with a different accent and language.”

Quoting St. John Paul II, Pope Francis said “we must not allow ourselves to be guided by the intention of setting ourselves up as judges of history but solely by the motive of understanding better what happened and of becoming messengers of truth.”

We shouldn’t be resigned to “division and distance,” but instead take this opportunity to mend a “critical moment” in Lutheran and Catholic history by moving beyond “controversies and disagreements,” he said.

“Jesus intercedes for us as our mediator before the Father; he asks him that his disciples may be one, ‘so that the world may believe.’”

“This is the testimony the world expects from us,” the Pope said. As Christians we can only be credible witnesses of mercy to the extent that “forgiveness, renewal and reconciliation are daily experienced in our midst.”

“This is what comforts us and inspires us to be one with Jesus, and thus to pray: ‘Grant us the gift of unity, so that the world may believe in the power of your mercy,’” he said.

“Together we can proclaim and manifest God’s mercy, concretely and joyfully, by upholding and promoting the dignity of every person. Without this service to the world and in the world, Christian faith is incomplete.”

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New York City, N.Y., Oct 31, 2016 / 12:21 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Christianity is at a crossroads in the Middle East, and only a dedicated campaign of aid and activism can help Christians survive as a merciful, forgiving leaven in the region.

“Either Christianity will survive and offer a witness of forgiveness, charity and mercy, or it will disappear, impoverishing the region religiously, ethnically and culturally,” Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight and CEO of the Knights of Columbus, said Oct. 12.

His remarks came at the awards banquet for the Path to Peace Award.  

Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the apostolic nuncio heading the Holy See’s permanent observer mission to the U.N., conferred the award in recognition of the Knights of Columbus’ work in the Middle East and their humanitarian work throughout the world. The award is granted by the Path to Peace Foundation, which supports the Holy See’s U.N. mission.

Anderson outlined three steps to aid the Christians of the Middle East.

“The first step on the path to peace in this region has been taken,” he said. “Christians have forgiven their persecutors. The second step must be a level of government funding directed to those communities that have faced genocide, so that they, and their witness, can survive. The third step must be the creation of real equality regardless of religious belief.”

“If we take these steps, we will not only have saved the faith of a people, we will have ensured that their witness of mercy and reconciliation – which is the only authentic path to peace – continues to be a leaven in this region.”

The Knights’ support campaign began in 2014, raising millions of dollars for Christians and other minorities suffering from war or persecution in the Middle East, especially Iraq and Syria. The organization was a leader in the successful effort to persuade Congress to recognize the persecution of Christians as genocide. The designation triggered additional protections and programs under U.S. law.

Anderson stressed the need to preserve religious pluralism in general and Christianity specifically.

“The Christian witness of mercy and forgiveness is the true path to peace in the Middle East,” Anderson said, noting Christianity’s ancient roots there.

He cited Melkite Catholic Archbishop Jean-Celement Jeanbart of Aleppo’s frequent reminder that St. Paul did not baptize Syrian Christians. Rather, they baptized St. Paul.

“And I would add this. They had to forgive him before they baptized him,” Anderson said. “When asked to visit Paul, (the) Syrian Christian Ananias’ first reaction was to remind the Lord that Paul had persecuted Christians. Ananias had to forgive, then embrace his former persecutor.”

Anderson said Christians have lived “heroically” in the Middle East for two thousand years.

“This is the history of Christians indigenous to the Middle East. They forgive, and by doing so they open the path to peace,” the Supreme Knight continued. “Today, they have given up everything but their faith, for their faith. But even having lost so much, they have given a great gift, to their fellow citizens and to the world. The gift they have given is the example of forgiveness and mercy – the fundamental building blocks of peace.”

He cited the example a young girl severely burned by members of the Islamic State group in Mosul who was dying of her injuries in a hospital. Before she died, she told her mother to forgive them

Another girl told ABC’s 20/20 News she also forgives the Islamic State group.

“Jesus said ‘forgive each other, love each other the way I love you,’ that is what we need to learn. Forgiveness,” she said.

A Chaldean Catholic Iraqi priest, Father Douglas Bazi, was captured by terrorists for nine days. They tortured him, knocked out his teeth, and broke his back with a hammer.

During the torture, the priest prayed the rosary, using the chain links on his shackles as beads. He still tried to minister to his torturers, telling one that if they crossed paths again “I will buy you a cup of tea.”

“This Christian witness of mercy and forgiveness is having an effect,” Anderson said, citing a Yazidi family who told a Knights of Columbus team that almost all the assistance they have received have come from Christians.

Anderson continued to stress the vital role of Christians in the region.

“A true path to peace in the region requires the presence of Christians within a pluralistic society in which they are full and equal citizens. This means they must survive, and they must be treated equally,” he said.

The Supreme Knight called for direct funding to communities who are victims of genocide. U.S. and U.N. officials in Iraq have said they prioritize aid to individuals in the most need, but do nothing for groups as such even if the groups have been targeted for genocide.

“Victims and survivors of genocide should be prioritized,” Anderson said, adding that communities facing extinction should not be ignored.

Aid channels have failed and government delivery systems are unreliable, he reported, advocating that financial aid be delivered directly to threatened communities through new channels and new partnerships with religious organizations.

“If it is not done, the genocide begun by ISIS will likely succeed by our own inaction,” Anderson warned.

He suggested that given the vast amounts of foreign aid to the region from the U.S. and other countries gives leverage to secure real equality and human rights for threatened minorities.

“We must insist that Christians and other non-majority communities are no longer marginalized,” he said.

Anderson invoked the Knights of Columbus’ long history of humanitarian relief, advocacy and public awareness work.

The Knights aided persecuted Christians in Armenia and the Middle East in the early 20th century and supported persecuted Mexican Catholics around the same time. The organization advocated for Jews in Germany before World War II and for religious freedom in Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

Previous recipients of the Path to Peace Award include U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former President Corazon C. Aquino of the Philippines, and former President Lech Walesa of Poland.

The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternity, has about 1.9 million members worldwide. The Knights’ relief fund for Middle East Christians and other minorities is accepting donations through its webpage at www.kofc.org/Iraq

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Lund, Sweden, Oct 31, 2016 / 12:36 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- While in Sweden to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Pope Francis heard moving testimonies from both Lutherans and Catholics working to better society, giving thanks for their witness and praying for greater unity.

“We remember this anniversary with a renewed spirit and in the recognition that Christian unity is a priority, because we realize that much more unites us than separates us,” the Pope said at an ecumenical event in Malmo, Sweden Oct. 31. He explained that the journey toward unity taken so far is in itself “a great gift” from God.

The path of dialogue has helped the two Churches to grow in mutual understanding and has fostered greater trust between Catholics and Lutherans as they strive toward full communion, Francis said.

He pointed to common areas of cooperation as a concrete example of the steps taken.

In addition to the 1999 joint declaration on the Doctrine of Justification between the Holy See and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Catholic charity organization Caritas Internationalis and the Lutheran World Federation World Service will also sign a joint Oct. 31 “Declaration of Intent” aimed at “developing and strengthening a spirit of cooperation for the promotion of human dignity and social justice.”

Pope Francis is on an official Oct. 31-Nov. 1 visit to Sweden for a joint-commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. His visit marks the first time a Pope has traveled to Scandinavia since St. John Paul II’s 1989 visit.

After landing at the International Airport of Malmö, the Pope paid a courtesy visit to the Royal Family before joining an ecumenical moment of prayer at Lund’s Lutheran cathedral.

Following the prayer, Francis then headed to the Malmö Arena for the primary ecumenical event, during which he was greeted by Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan, President of the LWF.

In his speech, Younan said “it brings me immense joy to be here today, bearing witness to the work of the Holy Spirit sowing unity among the followers of Jesus.”

The historic gathering, he said, sends a message to the entire world that strongly-held religious convictions “can lead toward peaceful reconciliation rather than always contributing more conflict to our already troubled world.”

“When religious people work for unity and reconciliation, religion can promote the flourishing of all human communities,” Younan said.

“As we meet here, Catholic and Lutheran, with many other ecumenical guests, we are challenged to move forward in the Holy Spirit, he concluded, adding that this meeting “is not the end of our dialogue, but a new beginning.”

“I am confident that our common purpose will be found not just in theological dialogue, but in the practical witness, the ‘martyria,’ of prophetic ‘diakonia.’”

Before their speeches, the Pope and Younan also listened to four testimonies from both Catholics and Lutherans working for the common good and the advancement of various sectors of society.

After hearing the testimony of Pranita Biswasi, a Lutheran woman from the district in Orissa, India speak about the effects of climate change on the poor and the need to take better care of the environment, the Pope noted that creation “is a sign of God’s boundless love for us.”

He thanked Biswasi, who was a delegate from the LWF to 2015’s COP21 climate summit in Paris, for her work, telling her that he shares her concerns for the “abuses” that harm the plant and cause “grave effects on the climate.”

“As you rightly mentioned, their greatest impact is on those who are most vulnerable and needy; they are forced to emigrate in order to escape the effects of climate change,” he said, adding that everyone, especially Christians, “are responsible for protecting creation. Our lifestyle and our actions must always be consistent with our faith.”

The Pope then turned to the testimony given by Msgr. Héctor Fabio Henao Gaviria of Colombia, who serves as director of Caritas and the National Secretariat of Social Pastoral Ministry.

After hearing the priest speak about the problem of violence in Colombia, the initiatives of Caritas and the need for peace in the country, Francis said “it is good to know that Christians are working together to initiate communitarian and social processes of common interest.”

“I ask you to pray in a special way for that great country, so that, through the cooperation of all, peace, so greatly desired and necessary for a worthy human coexistence, can finally be achieved,” he said.

Francis then pointed to the testimony of Marguerite Barankitse of Burundi. After receiving death threats for speaking out against conflict that erupted in the country last year, she has been a refugee in Rwanda.

Barankitse is Catholic and is the foundress of the Maison Shalom organization, which is a complex of schools, hospitals and a care network extending throughout Burundi focusing specifically on child welfare and ending ethnic discrimination.

Referring to the work Barankitse carries out, the Pope said that striving to achieve peace and help children who are victims of various atrocities “is both admirable and a summons to take seriously the countless situations of vulnerability experienced by so many persons who have no way to speak out.”

He noted how in her speech, Barankitse said many people called her “crazy” for her work with what she called her “strategy of love.”

This craziness, Francis said, “is the craziness of love for God and our neighbor. We need more of this craziness, illuminated by faith and confidence in God’s providence.”

“What you consider a mission has been a seed that has borne abundant fruit and today, thanks to that seed, thousands of children can study, grow and enjoy good health,” he said, voicing his gratitude that even in exile, she continues to spread a message of peace.

The Pope then pointed to the last testimony he listened to before his speech, which came from Rose Lokonyen, a refugee from South Sudan living in Kenya who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics as one of 10 members of the games’ first-ever refugee team.

Originally from South Sudan, Lokonyen fled with her family to Kenya when she was just 4 years old, where she lived in a refugee camp for 16 years before joining the Olympic team.

Pope Francis noted how Lokonyen was able to make use of the talent God had given her. Rather than “wasting her energy on adverse situations,” instead she “found fulfillment in a fruitful life,” he said.

“While I was listening to your story, I thought of the lives of so many young people who need to hear stories like yours. I would like everyone to know that they can discover how wonderful it is to be children of God and what privilege it is to be loved and cherished by him,” Francis said.

He thanked Lokonyen for her efforts and commitment to encouraging other young women to return to school, and also voiced his gratitude “for the fact that you pray daily for peace in the young state of South Sudan, which so greatly needs it.”

Francis then gave a shout-out to all governments that assist and welcome refugees, displaced and asylum speakers, calling their assistance “a great gesture of solidarity and a recognition of their dignity.”

“For us Christians, it is a priority to go out and meet the outcasts and the marginalized of our world, and to make felt the tender and merciful love of God, who rejects no one and accepts everyone.”

He then pointed to the situation of Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, who was also present at the event and gave his testimony after the Pope and Younan spoke.

In his comments about Bishop Audo’s situation, Francis noted that Aleppo is a city “brought to its knees by war, a place where even the most fundamental rights are treated with contempt and trampled underfoot.”

However, he also pointed to the “truly heroic” men and women who have remained in order to provide material and spiritual support to those in need.

“It is admirable too, that you, dear brother, continue working amid such danger in order to tell us of the tragic situation of the Syrian people. Every one of them is in our hearts and prayers,” he said, and prayed for the grace “of heartfelt conversion for those responsible for the fate of that region.”

Francis closed his address by encouraging those present not to get discouraged in the face of adversity, but to allow the testimonies of others to “give us new impetus to work ever more closely together.”

“When we return home, may we bring with us a commitment to make daily gestures of peace and reconciliation, to be valiant and faithful witnesses of Christian hope...as we know, hope never deludes us.”

The ecumenical event was Pope Francis’ last event of the day. Before departing tomorrow, Nov. 1, the Pope will hold an outdoor Mass at the Swedbank Stadium in Malmö, marking All Saints Day.

 

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Minneapolis, Minn., Oct 31, 2016 / 02:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- When Bishop Andrew Cozzens was recently filling up his gas tank, a stranger approached him and said, “Father, I hope you are praying for this country!”

“His sentiment captured what many of us feel about our country, especially regarding the upcoming election. For conscientious Christians, many of us find our nation in a state of crisis,” Bishop Cozzens of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota said in an Oct. 27 column for Catholic Spirit.

“But fear and discouragement ultimately are not real options for us as Christians,” he said, urging his community to trust in the ultimate power of God.

The Minnesota bishop shared his struggles with the upcoming Nov. 8 election, saying that “I find myself in a moral quandary greater than I ever have before.”

But Bishop Cozzens is not alone in this sentiment – many other Catholic bishops have spoken out in this election, including Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, who called both major party candidates “problematic.”

Bishop Cozzens laid out his top priorities for a presidential candidate, saying that he wanted to vote for a leader who respected life in all stages, who would protect religious freedom, who would respect immigrants, and ultimately, who could be considered trustworthy.

“Though I do not expect elected officials to agree with me on every issue, I should at least be able to expect that they have the character to serve in the best interest of our nation’s people,” Bishop Cozzens said.

“Unfortunately, I do not believe either of the two major candidates for president can be trusted to do so.”

Despite a challenging election year, Bishop Cozzen encouraged voters and Catholics to not despair, but remain in the call to be “people of hope,” grounded in the faith that Christ Jesus has “the greatest power in the universe.”

“History has taught us that even when society goes astray from that love, Jesus Christ and his Church always remain.”

Bishop Cozzens pointed to voting guidelines published by the Minnesota Catholic Conference for discerning Catholics who are looking to both the Catholic Church and their own consciences to lead them in the election.

For the Minnesota bishop, voting could come down to the disappointing decision of choosing between the lesser of evils, which he said includes casting a vote for a third-party candidate or even refraining from the presidential vote, which he called “a legitimate way to exercise one’s vote.”

Bishop Cozzens encouraged Catholics in the moral obligation to vote, urging them especially to keep Catholic values at the forefront in local elections.

“Please don’t let your discouragement about the presidential race prevent you from voting in the many other important local elections. Much good can still be done right here in Minnesota to promote life, liberty and the common good by electing legislators who share our values.”

Moving forward, Bishop Cozzens encouraged an attitude of trust and hope, urging everyone to pray for the United States of America, particularly through a pre-election novena.

“Given where our country is today, I fully expect that more suffering will come to those who seek to sincerely practice their Catholic faith,” the Minnesota bishop said.

“But this suffering has always been part of the life of the Church. And we know that, united with Christ’s death on the cross, the sufferings we endure as part of the body of Christ can bear great fruit.”

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By Cindy Wooden

MALMO, Sweden (CNS) -- The sheet of ice and the penalty boxes were gone from Malmo Arena Oct. 31 as Catholics and Lutherans filled the stands and promised to work together for peace -- particularly in Syria -- and for justice -- especially for refugees.

Pope Francis and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation continued their ecumenical commemoration of Reformation Day in an arena that usually hosts hockey games. But kicking off a year of events to culminate in the 2017 commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, the arena was transformed into a venue for song and witness.

Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, Syria, called on all Christians to join their voices in prayer and in pressuring their governments to stop the bloodshed and destruction in his homeland.

The bishop, who is president of Caritas Syria, announced that Christian humanitarian work in his country would follow the motto: "Become Christians Together," focusing on how serving Christ must include serving others, especially the poorest and most needy.

A centerpiece of the Malmo event was the signing of a "declaration of intent" by the heads of Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based confederation of Catholic charities, and the Lutheran World Federation's World Service. The two organizations promised to "witness and act together," supporting one another, including by serving the victims of war in Syria and Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.

Religion, Bishop Audo said, "should encourage us to defend the human values of dignity, solidarity and seeking the common good."

The stories told in Malmo include those of a young Indian woman working to educate people about climate change, the Sudanese refugee runner who carried the flag for the Olympic Refugee Team, the head of Caritas Colombia working for peace and a woman from Burundi who adopted and sheltered seven children during her country's genocidal rampage in the 1990s.

Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation and bishop of Jordan and the Holy Land, co-hosting the event with the pope, also spoke as a refugee, the son of Palestinians from Beersheba. "All refugees are my brothers and sisters," he said.

"I ask each of you to pray for my country and for the just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he said. "Pray that God's will of justice will be done. Pray that Jerusalem would be a city shared by three religions -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- and two peoples -- Palestinians and Israelis."

Praising the Caritas-World Service agreement, Bishop Younan said, "I am proud to answer God's call with you so the world can see how Lutherans and Catholics love one another and serve their neighbors so the world may believe."

Pope Francis told the crowd in the arena that the ecumenical agreement is a fruit of 50 years of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue and its affirmations of a common faith and a common baptism in Jesus. He prayed that it would unleash a "revolution of tenderness."

Aleppo, he said, has been "brought to its knees by war" and is a place where "even the most fundamental rights are treated with contempt and trampled underfoot."

Every person in Syria "is in our hearts and prayers," the pope added. "Let us implore the grace of heartfelt conversion for those responsible for the fate of that region."

Marguerite Barankitse, the woman from Burundi who spoke about adopting and sheltering children, had told the pope that everyone around her, including her family members, thinks she is crazy.

"Please," she told the crowd in English, "do you accept to be crazy like me?"

Bishop Younan told her, "We want to be crazy like you, crazy in our love."

In his response, Pope Francis encouraged her as well. "Of course," he said, "it is the craziness of love for God and our neighbor. We need more of this craziness, illuminated by faith and confidence in God's providence."

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Follow Wooden on Twitter: @Cindy_Wooden.

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