Pope encourages Scandinavian pilgrims to work and charity

Pope encourages Scandinavian pilgrims to work and charity

Vatikanstadt, Italien - Pope Francis received a group of around 1,100 pilgrims from Scandinavia in the Vatican on February 3, 2025 and called it up to more intensive cooperation with Christians from other denominations. In view of the current global conflicts, the Pope emphasized how important it was to give a common testimony to peace and reconciliation. He encouraged the Catholics to take care of the needy in their homeland after their return and to promote dialogue as well as the cooperation with other cultures and religions. This message came particularly in the context of the numerous migrants who have found refuge in Scandinavia, such as Chapter reported .

The pilgrims that come from countries such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland were accompanied by bishops and church representatives. During your pilgrimage, which is part of the Holy Year 2025, you will visit various sacred sites in Rome. Pope Francis expressed hope that spiritual experiences in Italy will strengthen pilgrims' sense of faith and spark enthusiasm for their faith. He underlined the constant development of the church in Scandinavia, which despite its small number of believers is a sign of the growing faith, as Vatican News reported .

A central concern of the Pope was the promotion of charity and cooperation between different faith communities. He asked the pilgrims to report on their experiences in Rome at the next service in their home communities and to involve others in the Christian community. This is where Francis takes up an important topic: the need for inter -religious willingness to dialogue, especially in the multicultural societies that prevail in the Nordic countries.