---
title: Pope Leo XIV praises Lutheran-Catholic dialogue progress
url: https://www.faithfulnews.com/en/pope-leo-xiv-praises-lutheran-catholic-dialogue-progress
published: 2026-10-07T16:49:21+00:00
language: en
section: World Church
source: https://signum.se/leo-xiv-lovordar-den-luthersk-katolska-dialogen/
organizations: Lutheran World Federation, Roman Catholic Church, Vatican
publisher: FaithfulNews
---

# Pope Leo XIV praises Lutheran-Catholic dialogue progress

Pope Leo XIV has praised the progress in the dialogue between Lutherans and Catholics. He stated that he is glad that the continued relations between the two groups have matured both spiritually and theologically over the last decade. The Pope made these remarks on Thursday during a meeting with representatives of the Lutheran World Federation in the Vatican.

The international dialogue has produced important insights. The Pope cited the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification as an example. This document was signed in Augsburg on October 31, 1999. It resolved a theological issue that led to the church split during the time of Martin Luther. The declaration states that Catholics and Lutherans agree that humanity is dependent solely on the grace of God.

The Pope also referred to the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, which will take place in 2030. In 1530, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V required Catholics and Protestants to present their beliefs in writing. The resulting Augsburg Confession is the first official statement of doctrine and practice in the Lutheran Reformation. It has had a worldwide impact on Protestantism as a whole. The Pope expressed a wish for a joint confirmation of the pre-confessional ecumenical potential of the Confession. He explicitly appealed to all believers, especially theologians, to direct their gaze toward Christ and the gospels.

The Pope also urged a deeper return to the common roots of the early church and the church fathers. He emphasized the need to rediscover the pre-confessional heritage that unites believers as brothers and sisters in Christ. A regular dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church has continued since 1967. The joint commission has been in its sixth phase of dialogue since the beginning of 2026. The Lutheran World Federation, based in Geneva, includes 153 Lutheran churches with approximately 78 million members in 99 countries.

## This story in other languages

- [Deutsch](https://www.faithfulnews.com/de/leo-xiv-lobt-lutherisch-katholischen-dialog)