In a year’s time, Christian churches, both Catholic and Evangelical, will be commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation initiated by Martin Luther. In October 1517, Luther published his famous 95 challenges to established Church teaching and practice, an event that shattered Christian unity and revolutionised the existing society.

Now, half a millennium later, perennial questions are being asked: was the Reformation really necessary? Did the Church make mistakes in handling Luther’s protests? Were the early Protestants seeking to reform the Church or to break from it? What are the real differences that separate Christians from each other? Is Christian disunity a result of doctrinal or cultural barriers?

Many of these questions have been satisfactorily answered, especially in the last decades of ecumenical discussions and initiatives. On most of the fundamental issues, Catholics and Lutherans have been able to agree on common statements of doctrine. Yet, Christians are still divided. Barriers to unity remain. The shadow of polemics that followed the Reformation still lingers on.

Nevertheless, Pentecostal and charismatic movements within churches have put forward new emphases that have made many of the old confessional controversies seem obsolete.

Recently, Fr Raniero Cantalamessa, the papal household preacher, said: “A tectonic movement contrary to the one which drew the present continents apart from one another is taking place spiritually among us. Christian ‘continents’, once very distant and without communication between them, are coming together again.”

He added that Pope Francis is “resolutely leading us Catholics in the direction of unity” and emphasised that “the most concrete steps towards unity, therefore, are not those that are made around a table or in joint declarations (even though these are all important and indispensable); they are the ones made when believers and, especially leaders of different denominations, in spite of all their differences, meet together to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus, to share their charisms and recognise each other as brothers and sisters in Christ”.

On the local scene, two years ago a ‘thought’ began to develop in the minds of several persons who attend prayer groups and who have Christian unity very close to heart. Their shared ideas gave birth to Undivided – A Christian Celebration, which will take place in the amphitheatre of Smart City, Kalkara, on October 2 from 5pm to 10.30pm.

With so many people all over losing sight of their Christian identity, where controversies between Conservatives and Liberals, Progressives and Traditionalists still remain, where believers in some parts of the world are being persecuted and their blood being shed, how can Christians keep living in isolated pockets, divided from each other?

The shadow of polemics that followed the Reformation still lingers on

Undivided is an opportunity for all Christians to stand together, to be a visible sign to the public that we are one body with Christ as our head and to proclaim one message of salvation.

Undivided is a celebration of praise and worship, dance and testimonies from different Christians and from several countries.

The well-known young Maltese Catholic priest Fr Bob Galea, also known as Bob Gee, will be coming specifically from Australia for this event.

The Anglican Mike Pilavachi, founder of the global youth ministry Soul Survivor is joining us from the UK.

Fabian Grech, a Maltese Pentecostal who, together with his young family, is working in Iraq will also be there.

Working in difficult circumstances, Fabian has profound trust in God’s protection and will be sharing his experience on the way Churches are working together in Iraq amidst the turmoil of war and persecution.

Undivided will stress unity between different Churches but also between nations as Africans, Filipinos, English, Maltese and Germans come together with Christian refugees who will be taking part and singing in their own languages. Archbishop Charles Scicluna will represent the Catholic Church in Malta. The Archbishop of Canterbury will be sending his representative and the Orthodox Metropolitan of Italy will also be attending.

Undivided is an occasion for God’s mercy to renew our broken Christian relationships. The celebration will walk in the footsteps of Pope Francis who, together with other Christian pastors and leaders worldwide, has a heart for Christian unity and knows that it cannot be reached without healing and forgiveness.

Pope Francis said last January that “as Bishop of Rome and pastor of the Catholic Church, I want to ask for mercy and forgiveness for the behaviour of Catholics towards Christians of other Churches, which has not reflected Gospel values. At the same time, I invite all Catholic brothers and sisters to forgive if other Christians, today or in the past, have offended them. We cannot cancel out what has happened but we do not want to let the weight of past faults continue to contaminate our relationships”.

This is what Undivided is all about.

Nikol Baldacchino, former editor of Il-Ġensillum, is development director of the Ghana Mission Foundation.

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