Ecumenical leaders call for context, nuance in Catholic-Lutheran dialogue
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, renowned for his ecumenical efforts, addressed a Washington gathering of Catholic and Lutheran leaders striving for unity. Cardinal Koch’s speech took place May 30 at “The 500th Anniversary of Martin Luther’s Posting of the Ninety-Five Theses Conference: Luther and the Shaping of the Catholic Tradition,” held at The Catholic University of America. In his address, Cardinal Koch called for a new understanding of Martin Luther that takes into account his historical and religious context. The cardinal, who leads the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, outlined how Luther was grounded in the monastic and mystical traditions of late medieval Catholicism, like Christ-centered theology. He also pointed out that the reforms Luther called for were not extraordinary in their time: similar reforms were gaining traction elsewhere, like the “devotio moderna,” or “modern devotion,” movement in the Netherlands that called for humility and simplicity in the Church, or the first multilingual edition of Scripture that was published in Spain in 1515.
Theologians ask if Luther split needed to be a ‘Church-dividing’ event
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Did the split between Martin Luther and the Catholic Church in 1521 have to be what theologians call a “Church-dividing” event? That is the question some theologians and historians are asking in 2017, the 500th anniversary of Luther’s posting of his 95 theses on a Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Yet despite the question being asked, the answer is not immediately clear. To say no, suggested Kenneth Appold, a professor of Reformation history at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, one would have to identify some mechanism in the Catholic Church of the early 16th century that could have kept Luther in the fold. “If we cannot be sure” such a mechanism was in place then, he asked, “how can we be sure that it would not be repeated today?” He later took note of a comment made by Blessed Paul VI that the Church itself could pose “the greatest obstacle to Christian unity.” Appold made his remarks May 30 on the opening day of a three-day conference, “Luther and the Shaping of the Catholic Tradition,” held at The Catholic University of America in Washington.
Pilgrims by the thousands trek to Ugandan shrine to recall 22 martyrs
NAMUGONGO, Uganda (CNS) — Walking 250 miles to keep a religious commitment is the least anyone can expect of Anna Aciro. Aciro, 62, has walked the entire distance from Aru, a village in Congo, to the Uganda Martyrs Basilica and Shrine in Namugongo to honor the memory of 22 Catholic saints who lost their lives because of their faith from 1885 to 1887. For Aciro, it’s her second trek to the shrine, which is located near the capital of Kampala. “I last walked in 2015,” she told Catholic News Service. “I walk because I want to identify myself with the martyrs who were killed at Namugongo. I also want to pray to God to help me in some of my problems. Last time I got what I prayed for at Namugongo.’ Aciro is among thousands of pilgrims — some older, most younger — who have made the trek from within Uganda and beyond for the annual Uganda Martyrs Day observance, set for June 3. The Uganda bishops’ conference said that apart from Ugandans, pilgrims are expected from the United States, Nigeria, Mexico, Malawi, Italy, Zambia, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. By May 30 more than 60,000 pilgrims had arrived at Namugongo. Several Masses are celebrated daily with thousands of people attending.
Pope names Brazilian priest secretary of office for laity, family, life
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Eight months after the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life officially began functioning, Pope Francis named a 46-year-old Brazilian priest to serve as its secretary. The appointment of Schonstatt Father Alexandre Awi Mello, who is completing a doctorate in Mariology at the University of Dayton’s International Marian Research Institute, was announced May 31 at the Vatican. U.S. Cardinal Kevin Farrell is prefect of the office for laity, family and life, which began operating last September. It was formed by uniting the pontifical councils for laity and for family. Pope Francis’ statutes for the office give it responsibility “for the promotion of the life and apostolate of the lay faithful, for the pastoral care of the family and its mission according to God’s plan and for the protection and support of human life.” The statutes also say that while the prefect will be a cardinal or bishop, the secretary “may be a layperson” and the three undersecretaries will be laypeople. The undersecretaries have not been appointed.
Christians share hope, not ‘vinegar of bitterness,’ Pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians are called to be “sowers of hope,” consoling and defending the poor and anyone in need, Pope Francis said. As Christians prepared to celebrate Pentecost June 4, Pope Francis used his weekly general audience May 31 to speak about the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen the hope of believers and to send them forth to instill hope in others. Sowing bitterness or perplexity, he said, “isn’t Christian and if you do this, you aren’t Christian. Sow hope. Spread the oil of hope, diffuse the perfume of hope and not the vinegar of bitterness and hopelessness.” In his Letter to the Romans (15:13), St. Paul prays, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Having an abundance of hope, Pope Francis said, means not only hoping that when life is over one will be with God. It also means having the strength today to continue hoping “even when there is less human reason for hoping.