In the document the leaders "confess our guilt before God on behalf of our churches, asking God and each other for forgiveness and committing ourselves before God to continue to deepen our togetherness."
A service "of penitence and reconciliation" will be held on 11 March next year in the German city of Hildesheim with local churches encouraged to follow suit.
Other ecumenical initiatives to mark the anniversary include a pilgrimage to Israel / Palestine by church leaders.
Pope Francis is also set to begin marking the occasion next month with a service alongside Bishop Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation, at Lund, in Sweden. They will pray for forgiveness and ask for healing of the wounds inflicted on each other since the Reformation.
Source: Harry Farley - As quoted by Harry Farley, "After centuries of separation, evangelicals and Catholics look to shared future", Christian Today eMagazine, 22 September 2016, http://www.christiantoday.com/article/after.centuries.of.separation.evangelicals.and.catholics.look.to.shared.future/96072.htm
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