New | Pope Francis takes Christian unity message to heartland of Protestant religion

Pope Francis and Lutheran leaders expressed deep regret Monday over the conflict between Catholics and Protestants during Christianity’s nearly 500-year-old schism, calling for unity on the pontiff’s landmark visit to Sweden.

The Argentine pope visited the southern cities of Malmo and nearby Lund for an oecumenical service marking the start of a year of celebrations for the Reformation -- the dramatic 1517 event that created a Protestant branch of Christianity which rebelled against papal rule.

“We too must look with love and honesty at our past, recognising error and seeking forgiveness,” Francis told a mass held in a church in Lund attended by Catholic and Lutheran leaders.

The event marks 50 years of reconciliatory dialogue between the Catholic Church and Lutheranism -- a Protestant branch that has traditionally been among the most fervent opponents to the Vatican’s authority and teachings.

The popes of the 16th century spent huge amounts of time and energy trying to stifle or reverse the reforming wave launched by the German monk Martin Luther when he nailed his demands -- the “95 theses” -- to the door of a church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517.