The Catholic Church should recognise the "positive" elements in the Reformation sparked by martin Luther, Pope Francis said Friday.
Francis said the Church should "distance itself from errors" and reject prejudices and ideological clashes.
The pope also said, on Luther, that memory should be "purified" and pardon should be asked for the faults of our fathers.
"Let us invoke together the gift of reconciliation and unity," he said.
The pope was speaking at an audience for the 150 participants in an international conference organised by the Pontifical Committee of Historical Science on the theme "Luther 500 Years Later".
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