Pope Benedict XVI said Monday that ecumenical talks with Lutherans had run into new challenges and called for greater efforts at dialogue in the years before the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation.
Benedict, who has made uniting all Christians a priority of his pontificate, made the comments to Bishop Mark Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation, during a Vatican audience.
The federation has 140 member churches in 78 countries.
Hanson, in remarks released by his organization, thanked the pope for making Christian unity a priority, and said Lutherans agreed they had a shared responsibility to ensure that the Gospel "may truly fill the life and mission of our churches."
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