Pope to visit Evangelical Lutheran Community of Rome next Sunday :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)


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The Lutheran community also pointed out on its website that it is not the first time the Pope will visit the sanctuary. As a cardinal, the Pope went to the Lutheran Church of Rome in 1998 to debate on the theme "Personal perspectives: ecumenical experiences, positions and expectations" with the Lutheran Bishop of Berlin, Wolfgang Huber.


Pope John Paul II's visit in 1983 coincided with the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's birth and marked the first time since 1517 that a Pope preached in the Church.

For the evening service on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI will be joined by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Cardinal Vicar of Rome Agostino Vallini.

Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church from Italy and other European countries will also be in attendance.

The Pope will preach on John 12:20-26 during the visit, while Pastor Kruse will speak on the first chapter of the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. The service will be celebrated in German.