Joint commemoration

Roman Catholics and Lutherans made another step toward joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 by issuing common liturgical guidelines for ecumenical services to mark the occasion. The guidelines, in a booklet called “Common Prayer,” provide a template for an ecumenical service complete with suggested prayers, hymns and themes for sermons.  “Common Prayer” stresses the shared beliefs between Roman Catholicism’s 1.2 billion members and the 75 million Lutherans worldwide. It advises readers that the recommendations can be adjusted according to the country and language in which they are used.