A TIME OF GRATITUDE
500 YEARS
1517-2017
1517-2017
Martin Luther
Today, October 31, 2017, is the Five-hundredth Anniversary of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Catholics and Lutherans, in particular, have been commemorating together this historical event in World History. They are doing so with common and heartfelt prayer, study and outreach. In fact, the entire Christian Community is seeking to find a pathway from conflict to communion.
Catholic theologians can now claim that much of Martin Luther’s teaching was exactly what was needed for the authentic and on-going proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus. Much of Luther’s reform has been integrated into the life of the modern Christian Church.
For the first time in history Catholics and Protestants are commemorating a millennial anniversary of the Reformation in mutual respect as together they witness to their love of and faith in Jesus for the sake of serving the peoples of the World.
We pause on this day when we prepare to celebrate the Feast of All Saints to thank and praise God for the diversity of Christians in the World. We hope and pray that this Commemoration will be a new beginning of the dialogues that began over fifty years ago with the Second Vatican Council.
Together, as sisters and brothers in Christ, Protestant and Catholic Christians and all Christians, we seek to celebrate the unity we enjoy in Jesus because of God’s love for all peoples.
We hope that the common witness of all the followers of Christ will be a beacon of hope for all peoples of good will as we stand together in the pursuit of what is right, good, just and humane.
As the Saints come marching in, may we reach out in unity and harmony to the peoples of the World transcending our divisions as we embrace our diversity and find our oneness in love and mutual respect.
Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.
and The Board of Directors of The Interfaith Peace Project
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