My latest article for CRUX asks what Pope Francis is doing by planning to go to Sweden in the Fall to commemorate the Reformation
Pope Francis has built bridges with Protestants in remarkable ways. His personal friendship with the late Anglican-style bishop Tony Palmer, and his video greeting to American pentecostal preachers followed by a personal meeting, raised eyebrows among many Catholics and raised a cry of dismay among the most vocal of conservative Catholics.
Pope Francis’ outreach to Protestants will go to new lengths when he travels to Lund in Sweden in October to attend a service marking the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation.
Is this something to celebrate?
Francis critics would say the Reformation is something to be lamented, not celebrated. They observe that the Protestant Reformation not only shredded Catholic Christianity; it also plunged the body of Christian believers into endless schism, resulting in thousands of Protestant sects. The Reformation led to decades of war, revolution, and endless division and strife in Europe. Was it worth it? Instead of celebrating, shouldn’t the pope be inviting Protestants to repent of their rebellion and “come home to Rome”?
Go here to read the full article.
