The pope held this meeting with a delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church from Germany. Bishop Gerhard Ulrich greeted Pope Francis with a big smile and then introduced him to his wife.
Then Bishop Ulrich gave a long greeting while he reviewed some dialogue milestones between Catholics and Lutherans as the document 'From conflict to communion' recalls.
Pope Francis, for his part, spoke about another important moment; the 2016 commemoration of the 500 years of the Reformation in Lund.
POPE FRANCIS
'On October 31, we were in Lund to transform, in a spirit of fraternal communion, that which, through the wounds of the past, could have aroused controversy and hatred.'
The pope explained that in the first place, Catholics and Lutherans are called to love each other. He also insisted that no ecumenical dialogue can move forward if each of the parties remain quiet. He recalled that neither can be elitist in this process of dialogue.
To end the meeting, everyone present stood all together and prayed a few moments before saying goodbye.
