Prophetic Intelligence Briefings
Lutheran Church in Finland Wonders After · January 22, 2010
To open the annual Papal inspired Week of prayer for Christian unity Benedict XVI granted an audience to an ecumenical delegation from the Lutheran Church of Finland. “Their visit was celebrated by the Pope, who expressed his hope that the group’s efforts would make headway in restoring ‘our lost unity.”
The Lutheran group holds an annual visit with the Papacy of which this is the 25th. Benedict said that the “positive influence of the Second Vatican Council” made this ecumenical relationship possible. He said that the “Catholic Church is committed ‘irrevocably to following the path of the ecumenical venture…’
The Pope expressed the papal commitment to the full, visible unity of the churches, meaning, of course, a sacramental unity with Rome under the authority of the pope. This is the direction that the ecumenical movement is headed. As churches become more and more involved in ecumenical dialog it will lead them irrevocably into the hands of Rome.
The Lutheran church and the Catholic Church signed a joint declaration on justification a decade ago which was a big step in healing the split between them that dates back to the Reformation. The Pope also expressed his appreciation for the delegation’s perseverance in “completing 25 years of visits to Rome, thus demonstrating ‘respect for the Successor of Peter…’” Rome’s ultimate goal with the ecumenical movement is to get the churches to come back under the authority of the pope. The Lutheran church in Finland (and other Lutheran churches for that matter) are well on their way to fulfilling the papal wish.
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