The German “Come with Luther to Meet the Pope” pilgrims of the Grand Ducal Movement came to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis. The Pope prays that the church will also have a “listening attitude” in the process of working together.
(Vatican News Network) Pope Francis received an Ecumenical pilgrimage group from Germany at the Paul VI Hall on October 25th. This pilgrimage group called “Mit Luther zum Papst” (Mit Luther zum Papst) dedicated a song to the Pope, and the Pope’s speech focused on “the consistency of chorus.” The Pope said that consistency is not only “speaking” but also “listening”, as happens in a chorus.
The Pope said: “You greeted me with a group song from the beginning. Singing brings people together. In a chorus, no one can sing alone. The important thing is to listen to others. I pray that the church will have a listening attitude. . We learn the listening posture again in the process of walking together.”
The Pope then invited all Christians to “listen to the music of God” in their lives, listen to the music that the Lord has written for each of us, and open the door to our hearts. The Pope emphasized that “the one who opens his heart and sings may unknowingly touch the mystery of God,” that is, his love. “You must always listen to the music of God in your life. In this way, many voices will be combined into one song. The same is true for the ecumenical movement in Germany and many other parts of the world.”
The pilgrimage from Germany to Rome was launched from October 23 to 30, with the slogan: “Besser zusammen” (Besser zusammen). The same event was held in 2016, with the name of the pilgrimage group “Come with Luther to meet the Pope”. That time was to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation (1517-2017). This initiative was initiated by the Youth Pastoral Office of the Magdeburg Diocese of the Catholic Church, and the Youth Pastoral Office of the Evangelical Churches in Central Germany and Anhalt.
In October 2016, the Pope also received members of this pilgrimage group at the Vatican. At that time, the Pope’s apostolic journey to Sweden was approaching. The focus of that trip was the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Now, the Pope mentioned the past to the pilgrimage group that came to the Vatican accompanied by Card Kurt Koch, chairman of the Committee for the Promotion of the Unity of Christians in the Holy See.
He said, “Some of you have already participated in this pilgrimage five years ago, and today you have added many new faces.” Five years ago, Pope Francis said: “Thank God, because today the believers of the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church are on the path from conflict to communion. Your large and enthusiastic presence is brotherly and loving. A clear mark, which makes us hopeful and convinced that we will continue to increase our mutual understanding.”
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