AUGSBURG DAY ! jUNE 25TH 2030
WHAT IS IT?
a celebration of christian unity!
the call to unity! john 17
Jesus's last known prayer before his crucifixion is written in the Gospel of John Chapter 17. Jesus prayed for unity of his disciples.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one-- I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
the tragedy of christian disunity
Sadly, the Prayer of Jesus has not always been heeded. Many major divisions have happened in the course of history. The Western Church and the Eastern Church divided in 1054 and then, in 1530, after the time of the Reformation, the Western ( Catholic) church started to split apart and Lutheranism was born, followed by Anglicanism, followed by Reformed , followed by Methodism until today there are over 40,000 denominations with 2.4 new ones formed every day! A new Pope came to the Vatican with a heart to seek unity amongst all believers and churches
Pope saint john XXIII pope for christian Unity.
Pope Saint John XXIII (1881-1963) called the Vatican Council which opened the door for Ecumenism between the Catholic Church and other Churches. From a painting in John XXIII's hometown, Photo CNS
Pope Saint John XXIII is venerated by the Catholic Church, by the Anglican Church in Canada and by the Episcopal Church in the United States for his call for Christian Unity. Pope John sought to reverse the tides of disunity and to invite all Christians into fellowship with each other. His famous prayer quoted St Augustine:
'Allow us to express our affection for you and to call you the legacy our sons and brothers... We address you, then, as brothers even though you are separated from us. For as St Augustine said: "Whether they like it or not, they are our brothers. They will only cease to be our brothers when they cease to say: Our Father"
Miracles happened! The issue that divided the Churches of the East and West are no longer regarded as a 'Church dividing'. In 1964 Pope Paul VI met Patriarch Athenagoras. It was the first time an Ecumenical Patriarch and a Pope had actually met in over 500 years. This meeting led to to the lifting of the mutual and limited Anathemas on December 7, 1965. Relations have grown since with each new Pope.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew meeting with Pope Francis in Israel in 2014.
RELATIONS WITH THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
Relations with the Anglican Communion have also grown since the Vatican Council. They have had agreed documents including one on the Role of Mary in Salvation history and Archbishop Justin Welby went on a Mission trip with Pope Francis to Africa.
Archbishop Justin Welby Archbishop of Canterbury meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican
now we await the most exciting news of christian unity - the healing of the reformation schism !
A meeting of the Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation which represents 150 Lutheran churches in 99 countries on Sept. 13-19 2023 in Krakow, Poland, Cardinal Koch, the Prefect of the Dicastery of Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Federations General secretary, Rev Anne Burghardt called for a joint Catholic- Lutheran reflection on the Augsburg Confession. Their statement “A Common Word’ released by the USCCB stated that: Such "a common reflection could lead to another 'milestone' on the way from conflict to communion." ...They agreed that such dialogue can allow both Catholics and Lutherans "to discern areas of consensus where our predecessors only saw insurmountable oppositions. We are able to recognize that the journey toward full communion is far greater than the contingencies of a particular epoch."
The delegates also quoted the words of Pope Francis when he met the leaders of the LWF in 2021 that such a joint study of the Augsburg Confession in advance of the 500th anniversary of the Confession in 2030 could help Catholics and Lutherans "to confess together what joins us in faith. It will be important to examine with spiritual and theological humility the circumstances that led to the divisions, trusting that, although it is impossible to undo the sad events of the past, it is possible to reinterpret them as part of a reconciled history’.
The delegates also quoted the words of Pope Francis when he met the leaders of the LWF in 2021 that such a joint study of the Augsburg Confession in advance of the 500th anniversary of the Confession in 2030 could help Catholics and Lutherans "to confess together what joins us in faith. It will be important to examine with spiritual and theological humility the circumstances that led to the divisions, trusting that, although it is impossible to undo the sad events of the past, it is possible to reinterpret them as part of a reconciled history’.
AUGSBURG JUNE 25TH 2030 - THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION
(L.-R) Fr Augustinus Sander OSB official of the Dicastery for promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch Prefect for the DPCU with Rev Anne Burghardt General Secretary of the LWF with Prof. Dr Dirk Lange Assistant General Secretary foe Ecumenical Relations at the LWF in Geneva Photo (C) FLM/S.Gallay LWF
Augsburg Day June 25th 2030 will be an opportunity to celebrate the Christian Unity that has been achieved since the time of the Vatican Council and to be what has been described an 'ecclesial recognition of - (as yet) imperfect communion'. What a gift to unwrap as we prepare for the 2000th Anniversary of the Resurrection in 2033! (1)
1, Wood S. and Wengert T. A Shared Spiritual Journey Paulist Press NY (c) 2016 p.195
what happened on previous Augsburg days...
Click the buttons below for 1630, 1730, 1830 and 1930 to discover the politcal, religious, cultural and musical backgrounds for the different centenaries.