Pope Francis arrived on 21 June in Geneva at the invitation of the Ecumenical Council of Churches (ESC), which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary.
The program of the day included a Liturgy in the chapel of the Ecumenical centre for dinner and discussion at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossa and report in the main hall of the Ecumenical centre.
“The visit of Pope Francis in Geneva, inspires the Ecumenical movement towards unity to which Christ calls the Church. We are glad that Pope Francis recognizes the contribution ESC in the Ecumenical movement. His involvement in the cause of unity and in Ecumenical relations is inspiring,” said General Secretary of the Lutheran world Federation (LWF) pastor Martin Junge.
The LWF was represented by Martin Junge and Deputy General Secretary for Ecumenical relations by the pastor, Casamari Hintikka.
Lutheran-Catholic dialogue has been ongoing for over 50 years. In 2019, it needs to enter a new phase, when its Central topic will be the Church, the Liturgy and the Eucharist. The dialogue has led to important achievements, including “Joint Declaration on the doctrine of justification” in 1999 and the document “From conflict to communion” in 2013.