By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV met on Wednesday with several Lutheran Bishops from Norway as they make a pilgrimage to Rome.
In his address, the Pope invited the Bishops to visit the various holy sites associated with the early Christians and martyrs, whose lives continue to offer a source of inspiration to modern Christians.
Their example, he said, encourages us also to “give our lives for the glory of God and for the good of our brothers and sisters.”
Pope Leo pointed to the difficult challenges presented by our world’s “particularly turbulent period.”
“There seems to be an increasing animosity among peoples, evident not only in international conflicts and disputes,” he said, “but also within individual countries, as demonstrated by the bitterness that frequently characterizes political and social discourse.”
Christians, too, face the temptation to fall into an attitude of hostility toward those with whom we disagree, he noted.
However, said the Pope, we instead need to seek out paths of reconciliation and fraternity.
“Jesus shows us another way, revealing that goodness and charity have the power to disarm,” he said.
In visiting Rome, the Lutheran Bishops show their desire to build communion, he said, noting that even small gestures “can inspire and guide us along the path of reconciliation.”
Pope Leo XIV then recalled Jesus’ prayer that His disciples may all be one so that the world may believe.
“Grounded in our common Baptism and our shared mission in the world,” he said, “I pray that we may always grow together in our service to the promotion of peace and justice.”
In conclusion, the Pope invited the Lutheran Bishops of Norway to look to the example of the early martyrs and saints as a witness to the transforming power of charity.
“Let us ask for God’s blessing,” he said, “so that, in God’s infinite goodness and wisdom, He may help us to live ever more truly as brothers and sisters, and thus bear common witness to our Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Vatican News
