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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ visit to Sweden for the joint commemoration of the Reformation comes as the culmination of 50 years of dialogue between Lutherans and Catholics, who’ll be recommitting themselves to shared witness and service.That’s the view of the Lutheran World Federation’s Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, Rev Dr Kaisamari Hintikka, who was closely involved in preparations for the events in the southern Swedish cities of Lund and Malmo.The Pope and Lutheran leaders presided together on Monday at a prayer service in Lund cathedral before travelling together to a sports stadium in Malmo for a celebration of common commitment organised by the Catholic confederation Caritas Internationalis and by the Lutheran World Service.Ahead of these historic events, Susy Hodges spoke to Rev Hintikka to find out more about the ecumenical significance of the Pope’s presence in Sweden…Listen: Rev Hintikka says it’s ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is in Sweden for a joint commemoration of the Reformation, together with leaders of the Lutheran World Federation. On Tuesday he will also celebrate a Mass for All Saints Day with the small Catholic community in Sweden and other Nordic nations.On this visit, Francis follows in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II who, in 1989, became the first pontiff to visit the region since the Reformation.Among those helping to coordinate that visit of the Polish pope was Bishop William Kenney who was then serving as vicar general of the Stockholm diocese. Today he is auxiliary of Birmingham in the UK and co-chair of the international Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue.Philippa Hitchen spoke to him to find out more about the Catholic community in Sweden and what he is expecting from this second papal visit to the country…..Listen: Bishop Kenney say the Church there is unusual in that the majority of its members are not Swedish, but rather are immigrants fr...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will be welcomed to the Lutheran Cathedral of Lund by the Bishop of Stockholm, Anders Arborelius, and by the Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala, Antje Jackelén.Ahead of the ecumenical commemoration of the Protestant Reformation set to take place in the Cathedral, Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen spoke with Archbishop Jackelén about the Pope’s visit.Jackelén said her message for the Pope was one of welcome, saying she and the Pope “are both excited” about the visit.Asked about her hopes for Pope Francis visit, Jackelén said, “I hope it’s a moment of encouragement and empowerment for the ecumenical movement that will have effect in many parts of the world.”Listen to the full interview of the Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, Antje Jackelén, with Philippa Hitchen:
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with Sweden’s royal family on Monday, at the beginning of his visit to Malmo and Lund to participate in the start of a series of events that will culminate in a year’s time in the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Lutheran reform.King Karl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden received the Holy Father at the king’s house in Lund, ahead of an ecumenical service in Lund’s Lutheran Cathedral.The king and queen also attended the ecumenical service, which saw Pope Francis, Lutheran Bishop of Jordan and the Holy Land and President of the Lutheran World Federation, Munib Younan, and the Rev. Martin Junge, the General Secretary of the LWF jointly leading.
(Vatican Radio) “From Conflict to Communion – Together in Hope” is the title of the event in the Malmö Arena that sees the participation of Pope Francis, leaders from Church of Sweden and the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm, and leaders of the World Lutheran Federation.The celebratory event also features testimonies and performances by a number of artists, choirs and guests.Organizers of the event have pointed out that all ecumenical events taking place in Sweden on Monday highlight topics that still require further theological discussion and agreement to be able to achieve full Christian unity.One of these is the commitment to common witness and service which will be particularly emphasized at the Arena in Malmö. During this public event an agreement of cooperation will be signed between the WLF World Service, which currently serves more than 6 2.3 million refugees globally, and Caritas Internationalis, which is present in 164 countries around the w...
Residents of New Delhi woke up to a blanket of smog on Monday as air quality deteriorated sharply overnight in India's capital, triggering warnings that even healthy people were at risk of respiratory problems. New Delhi ranks among the world's most polluted cities, with air quality usually worsening at this time of year, when smoke from firecrackers celebrating the Hindu Diwali festival of lights and crops burnt in nearby states envelops the city of 16 million. Experts warned people to avoid outdoor exertion. "Last night, levels hit the severe category, which is the worst. You could see and sense how the visibility had come down and there was a choking haze all around," said Anumita Roychowdhury at the Centre for Science and Environment. Levels of PM 2.5, tiny particulate matter that reaches deep into the lungs, more than doubled within a few hours to 750 micrograms per cubic meter in the city's worst affected parts, ...
(Vatican Radio) Participating in the “From Conflict to Communion – Together in Hope” event in the Malmö Arena is Monsignor Hector Fabio Henao, director of Caritas Colombia and a member of the Caritas Internationalis’ Colombia Working Group which is committed to ensuring the Colombian peace process stays on track. During the ecumenical event those present will pledge to leave conflict behind and to work to put n compassionate and loving service in action.Monsignor Henao told Philippa Hitchen how Catholics and Lutherans have been working together to bring peace to Colombia.Listen: Msg Henao explains that Caritas and the WLF have been working together for many years supporting victims and setting out a common strategy.He also speaks of the current status of the negotiations between the government and some of the rebels.“There will soon be another agreement with FARC, it is building in a very fast way, but meanwhile it is important to have natio...
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday blocked the execution of a paranoid schizophrenic murder convict pending a review of an earlier ruling that his condition was not a permanent mental disorder and therefore not legally relevant, his lawyers said. Rights groups have denounced the possible execution of Imdad Ali, 50, who government doctors certified as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in 2012, following his conviction for the 2001 murder of a cleric. He was due to be executed on Wednesday, according to execution orders issued last week. But the Supreme Court agreed to review an Oct. 21 ruling on Ali's final appeal, when the court ruled that schizophrenia did not fall within Pakistan's legal definition of mental disorders."We welcome the decision ... which will be integral in showing Pakistan's commitment to its international human rights obligations," said Zainab Malik, head of advocacy at Justice Project Pakistan, a legal aid g...
(Vatican Radio) An event scheduled to take place on Monday in the Malmö Arena of Sweden, titled “From Conflict to Communion – Together in Hope” sees the participation of Pope Francis, leaders from Church of Sweden and the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm, and leaders of the World Lutheran Federation on Monday.This public event is also scheduled to include the signing of an agreement of cooperation between the WLF’s charitable arm, the Lutheran World Service, and Caritas Internationalis. One person who will be giving testimony at the event is an ecological activist from India, Pranita Biswasi, who spoke with Philippa Hitchen in Sweden ahead of the event.Click below to hear their conversation
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis and Bishop Mounib Younan, President of the Lutheran World Federation signed a Joint Statement on Monday in which Catholics and Lutherans pledged to pursue their dialogue in order to remove the remaining obstacles that hinder them from reaching full unity. They also stressed their commitment to common witness on behalf of the poor, the needy and the victims of injustice. The Declaration was signed during the ecumenical prayer service held in Lund’s Lutheran Cathedral on the first day of the Pope’s visit to Sweden.Please find below the full text of the Statement:JOINT STATEMENTon the occasion of the Joint Catholic-Lutheran Commemoration of the ReformationLund, 31 October 2016 «Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me» (John 15:4).With thankful heartsWith this Joint Statement, we express joyful gratitude to God for t...
