In the Scandinavian country, often hailed as a champion of gender equality, the statistics are clear.

As of July, 50.1 per cent of priests are women and 49.9 per cent are men.

It's very likely the first Church in the world to have a majority of women priests, according to the World Council of Churches.

In the Protestant Lutheran Church of Sweden, which has 5.8 million members in a country of 10.3 million and where ministers hold the title of priest, "women are here to stay," insists Signarsdotter, who was ordained six years ago.

Since 2014, even the head of the Church is a woman, Archbishop Antje Jackelen.

At the Gustaf Vasa church, a smattering of worshippers wait for the service to begin.

"This Sunday, the service will be conducted by three women," the 37-year-old priest says proudly.

Coincidentally, it was in this imposing white church in the heart of Sweden's capital that another woman, Anna Howard Shaw, an American Methodist pastor and suffragette, became the first clergywoman to preach in Sweden.

That was in 1911, at an international women's suffrage conference, and long before women could be ordained in the Church of Sweden, in 1958.

"The men didn't allow her to go up there," explains Signarsdotter, pointing to the marble pulpit above her.

"She was allowed only on the floor," she says, standing at the altar as if to mark the spot.

This Sunday, the service will be held by Julia Svensson, a 23-year-old theology student whom Signarsdotter is mentoring — and she will give her sermon from the pulpit.

The feminisation of Sweden's priesthood is also seen at universities, where the 4.5-year theology studies required to become a priest are dominated by women.

Protestants generally believe that a priest is an expert, a theologist who tends to a congregation, and not a calling, in contrast to the Catholic Church which opposes women priests.

The rising number of women may be due to priests' changing roles over the years, suggests Signarsdotter.

"The priest's role today is not what it was before. There are other requirements, (such as) kindliness … (and) being able to handle many different situations."

"Historically men have held it for themselves but now we see it happening all over the world. Things are changing and new paths are open to us as female priests and women in general."

Divine design

One who has benefitted from the rising number of female priests is stylist Maria Sjodin, who designs vestments for women and whose business is booming.

In her atelier in a southern Stockholm suburb, the designer recently welcomed a regular customer, a female priest looking for a new collared top.

One could say divine intervention landed Sjodin here: in 2001 her daughter made a new friend at kindergarten, whose mother was a priest.

"She asked me to make her a priest shirt, because she didn't like the male shirt that she had to wear," she recalled.

The piece remains one of the most popular in her collection. Continue reading

Then again, you may not be welcome to do so, or you could find yourself simply unsure.

This confusing situation, created by a proposed change to the tradition that the Catholic Eucharist was "for Catholics only," leaves German Catholicism caught between its majority's desire for a relaxation of the rules — a view shared by Pope Francis — and the limits to change in the world's largest church.

In February, the German Catholic bishops approved draft guidelines for priests on when they may distribute Catholic Communion to Protestants attending Mass, signaling a new openness.

But the guidelines immediately sparked a tussle between reformers and conservatives and surprising flip-flops from the Vatican.

Since then, some dioceses have reflected the new attitude toward inter-Communion on their official websites.

Other churches hardly post even a passing reference to it. Meanwhile, a debate has gripped the country's Catholic Church, exacerbated by mixed signals from the Vatican.

The question of inter-Communion, which hardly arises in many other countries, is a recurrent one in Germany.

The country's Christians are almost evenly divided between Catholics and Protestants (mostly Lutherans), and many marriages cross denominational boundaries.

As a result, many German Protestants already receive Communion with their Catholic spouses, often with the agreement of their parish priest.

They do so discreetly, however, because the Vatican seemed opposed to it and because many church leaders fear that officially condoning individual exceptions could be a slippery slope toward full doctrinal change.

Apparently Catholicism's ecumenical principles and their inclusive understanding of the church … are still foreign to some people 50 years after the Second Vatican Council," complained Bishop Gerhard Feige, the bishops conference delegate for ecumenical relations and a co-author of the guidelines.

Pope Francis has taken a more flexible approach to interpreting Catholic canon law than his conservative predecessors and has made better relations with other Christians a priority.

Thinking the time was right to tackle the issue, the German bishops conference — led by Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx, a senior papal adviser — drew up a 38-page "pastoral guide" meant to help priests lead mixed couples to a solution.

The Protestant spouse must share the Catholic understanding of Jesus Christ's real presence in the Eucharist — to which Lutheran doctrine is close — and be in "severe spiritual distress" by being excluded from it, it said.

A large majority of the bishops present — 47 out of 60 — voted in February to publish the document, titled "Walking with Christ —  Tracing Unity," in the near future.

A month later, seven dissenting bishops led by Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki asked the Vatican to rule whether the guidelines violated Catholic doctrine and the unity of the worldwide church. Continue reading

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The letter signed by Congregation's prefect, Cardinal-designate Luis Ladaria, says Pope Francis has concluded that their statement "has not matured enough to be published."

Instead, it suggested, the bishops should continue the practice of judging specific situations.

Early last month he hosted a meeting with a group of German bishops.

Those present included supporters and opponents of the document.

Officials from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts also attended the meeting.

A Vatican statement was issued at the end of the meeting.

It said:"Pope Francis appreciates the ecumenical commitment of the German bishops and asks them to find, in a spirit of ecclesial communion, a result as unanimously as possible."

Ladaria's letter, which was published on an Italian blog "Settimo Cielo," lists three main issues:

• The question of the admission to Communion of Lutheran Christians in interconfessional marriages is a theme that touches on the faith of the Church and has relevance for the universal Church."
• "Such a question has effects on ecumenical relations with other churches and other ecclesial communities that cannot be undervalued."
• The matter also involves Church law, particularly the interpretation of canon 844 of the Code of Canon Law.

The text of the German guidelines has never been made public.

However, it has been widely assumed to foresee situations where a Lutheran married to a Catholic and regularly attending Mass with the Catholic spouse, could receive the Eucharist on a regular basis.

In many countries, bishops allow this on special occasions, such as to a parent during their child's baptism or first Communion.

Ladaria's letter said because of varying interpretations of the canon, "the competent dicasteries of the Holy See already have been charged with producing a timely clarification of such questions on the level of the universal Church.

"In particular," he said, "it appears opportune to leave to the diocesan bishop the judgment about the existence of a ‘grave necessity'" that would permit Christians of other denominations to receive the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass.

Source

• CruxNow
• America Magazine
• National Catholic Register
• National Catholic Reporter
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The Lutheran Church of Sweden has offered the cathedral as a temporary place of worship to the Catholic parish of St Thomas.

St Thomas's will be closed for major renovation for several months. Read more

"That's just in Enga and not counting the border areas of Hewa and Paiela," he said. "And the number of sorcery-related cases might in fact be higher."

Lutz said the latest attack last Saturday at Pompabus, Wapenamenda, left one woman dead and another with serious injuries after they were burned with hot irons and cut with razors.

The two women were blamed for causing the death of a three-year-old child.

Enga provincial police commander George Kakas said a post-mortem showed the child had died after choking on a piece of sweet potato.

Anton and Julie Lutz are based in Enga Province and have been active there in combating sorcery-related violence.

In June the Immigration Department attempted to have them deported.

The allegation made at the time was that the sponsoring church organisation no longer employed them.

It is not the first time they have been threatened with deportation - one particular occasion in 2014 was related to a dispute in the Gutnius Lutheran Church hierarchy between one-time Head Bishop David Piso and his former Deputy Nickodemus Aiyane.

Julie Lutz has been a missionary in Papua New Guinea since 1986.

Anton first came to Papua New Guinea with his family in 1986. He then returned in 2004 as a full-time missionary.

Anton's late father Dr Steve Lutz served in Enga as a missionary surgeon for more than twenty-three years until his death.

The Lutzes are missionaries of the USA-based Lutheran Church's Missouri Synod.

The church has been working in PNG since 1991 under a group called Concordia Lutheran Professional Mission Services.

Source

• The National
• The Loop
• RNZ
• ABC
• Facebook
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It was in Wittenberg in 1517 that Martin Luther unveiled the 95 Theses that launched the Reformation.

Centuries of dispute followed about whether eternal salvation comes from faith alone — the position of the new Protestant movement — or if it also requires good works on Earth as Catholics argued.

The Joint Declaration aims to "overcome divisions" from that time. It closes the centuries-old "faith versus works" debate by merging the Lutheran and Catholic views on salvation rather than setting them against each other.

It also promotes unity among the world's Christian Churches, stating "mutual condemnations pronounced by the two sides during the Reformation do not apply to their current teaching on justification".

The document the WRC signed says "We rejoice together that the historical doctrinal differences on the doctrine of justification no longer divide us."

It endorses the 1999 Catholic-Lutheran agreement on how Christians might be worthy of salvation in the eyes of God.

The World Methodist Council formally endorsed the Catholic-Lutheran Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 2006. The Anglican Communion is expected to do the same later this year.

Source

• National Catholic Reporter
• The Christian Post
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The crowd was witnessing New Zealand's formal commitment to healing the divisions of the Reformation: the 500 year-long separation of Lutherans and Catholics.

The atmosphere was joyful, positive and affirming as Lutheran Bishop Mark Whitfield and Cardinal John Dew led the crowd in lifting their "hearts and minds and voices" together, singing and praying shoulder to shoulder.

Priests, pastors, minsters, religious and congregations from many Christian denominations were there, showing their support and praying for Catholic and Lutheran unity.

They included Assyrian Christians from the ancient city of Niniveh, Anglicans, Presbyterians and Elim Pentecostal faithful, along with Wellington's Mayor and representatives from - for example - the German Embassy.

Dew said the ecumenical service was "a significant milestone for New Zealand's Roman Catholic and Lutheran communities," signaling a commitment to ongoing bridge-building between the Churches.

The text of the "common prayer" used in the service was selected by the Liturgical Task Force of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity.

"This liturgical order ... offers an opportunity to look back in thanksgiving and confession and look ahead, committing ourselves to common witness and continuing our journey together," Dew said.

These "characteristics of common prayer mirror the reality of Christian life: shaped by God's Word, the people are sent out in common witness and service."

Whitfield's comments echoed Dew's.

"I am delighted that we have opportunity in this Reformation Commemoration Year [500th anniversary] to celebrate our common baptism into Christ and to worship together.

"I also look forward to Roman Catholics and Lutherans working together to seek avenues of practical pastoral cooperation and support, and to explore joint worship and ecumenical hospitality for the sake of strengthening a joint witness to the Gospel in Aotearoa-New Zealand."

The movement towards Lutheran and Catholic Church unity is part of a wider movement to unite all Christians.

In New Zealand, Dew says "we have had dialogues with the Anglicans, Presbyterians and Methodists...[and now]... we officially start working, praying and discussing with the Lutherans as we continue to work towards Christian Unity".

Source

• Plain English
• Image: Supplied by Paul Ramsay

"My hope and expectation is that of coming closer to my brothers and sisters," he said.

Being close "does all of us good. Distance, on the other hand, makes us bitter."

Francis says distance makes us "close within ourselves and we become individual entities, incapable of encountering each other. We are held back by fears."

Instead, he thinks we need to learn "to transcend ourselves to encounter others,".

If this doesn't happen, he said even Christians "become sick because of our divisions."

During his trip, Francis will pray privately at Lund's Lutheran cathedral before taking part in a larger ecumenical event in Malmö.

He will then celebrate Mass on All Saints Day. This was not on his schedule, but added after Sweden's small Catholic community.

Most Swedes (6.2 million) are Lutheran. The next biggest religious group is Muslim, - 5% of Sweden's 9.6 million population.

Francis said he chose not to celebrate Mass at first. His aim instead was to promote unity, and avoid sectarian divisions.

"You cannot be Catholic and sectarian. We must strive to be together with others," he said.

He went on to explain that "‘Catholic' and ‘sectarian' are two words in contradiction,".

Rather than Mass, he says he "wanted to insist on an ecumenical witness."

He changed his mind after reflecting on his role as pastor of Scandinavian Catholics. This and the Catholic community's request changed his mind. He then decided to celebrate a Mass, lengthening the trip by a day.

Source

• CNA
• Image: Free Republic

Germany's Catholic bishops have praised Martin Luther as a "Gospel witness and teacher of the faith" and called for closer ties with Protestants.

In a 206-page report, "The Reformation in Ecumenical Perspective", Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg, chairman of the German bishops' ecumenical commission, made the following statement:

The "history of the Reformation has encountered a changeable reception in the Catholic Church, where its events and protagonists were long seen in a negative, derogatory light.

"While the wounds are still felt to the present day, it is gratifying that Catholic theology has succeeded, in the meantime, in soberly reconsidering the events of the 16th century," he said in the report, published this week by Germany's Bonn-based bishops' conference.

Bishop Feige said the "history and consequences" of the Reformation would be debated during its upcoming 500th anniversary, but added that there was consensus that previous mutual condemnations were invalid.

"Memories of the Reformation and the subsequent separation of Western Christianity are not free from pain," Bishop Feige said.

"But through lengthy ecumenical dialogue, the theological differences rooted in the period have been re-evaluated - as is documented in the work presented by our ecumenical commission."

Martin Lazar, the Magdeburg diocesan spokesman, told Catholic News Service on Wednesday that the Reformation still caused tensions in Germany, especially "in religiously separated families."

The bishops' report said the "Catholic Church may recognise today what was important in the Reformation - namely, that Sacred Scripture is the centre and standard for all Christian life.

"Connected with this is Martin Luther's fundamental insight that God's self-revelation in Jesus Christ for the salvation of the people is proclaimed in the Gospel."

• Catholic Herald
• Image: www.biography.com

In a joint document — entitled From Conflict to Communion — the Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation said there is little purpose in dredging up centuries-old disagreements.

The lengthy text looks at the joint responsibility for the division of the Western Church in the 16th century, addressing the challenges of healing those memories and working together for reconciliation and common witness to the world.

Topics explored in the document include the basic themes of Martin Luther's theology with a view to Lutheran-Catholic dialogue, as well as focusing on five ecumenical imperatives for the relationship between both churches as they commemorate 2017 together.

The birth of the Reformation is traditionally regarded as October 31, 1517, when Luther, a German monk and theologian, is thought to have nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg his 95 theses addressing issues that he saw as urgently in need of reform.

Re-examining the history of the Reformation and the split it created, the document stresses that Luther "had no intention of establishing a new church, but was part of a broad and many-faceted desire for reform" within the Church.

"The fact that the struggle for this truth in the 16th century led to the loss of unity in Western Christendom belongs to the dark pages of Church history," the document says. "In 2017, we must confess openly that we have been guilty before Christ of damaging the unity of the Church."

The joint document acknowledges that in today's world most Christians live in the Global South and thus "do not easily see the confessional conflicts of the 16th century as their own conflicts".

Even in the Old World, "the awareness is dawning on Lutherans and Catholics that the struggle of the 16th century is over. The reasons for mutually condemning each other's faith have fallen by the wayside."

Sources:

Religion News Service

Vatican Radio

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