Five centuries ago Christians were burning and torturing each other but on Sunday they will pray together as friends and commemorate the historic event which split their faith.
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In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on a door, protesting the Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences – a remission of punishment for sins.
The symbolic defiance instigated a great schism between Catholic and Protestant beliefs.
An ecumenical service at St Peter's Lutheran Church will officially begin several months of commemorative events.
Lutheran Pastor Gabor Szabo and Catholic Archbishop Christopher Prowse will be co-celebrants.
Pastor Szabo said the ecumenical movement had grown during the 20th century when Christians were widely persecuted under totalitarian regimes.
He said an education process was happening to make people more aware of other church doctrines.
"We are all Christians," he said.
"We have certain theological differences but we're all in the same boat.
"It's better we pull together in the spirit of our Lord who prayed with his disciples that we might all be one."
Pastor Szabo said Christian reunification was a common desire but "a long way away".
"What's happened in the last 60 years is truly remarkable," he said.
"Things happened in the past but there are basics that we all accept and we can rebuild with mutual understanding.
"The church was never uniform. It's a unifying factor but not a uniform one."
Pastor Szabo said Sunday's liturgy would be based on that used when Pope Francis visited Sweden last October for a groundbreaking prayer service in a Lutheran cathedral.
"As Catholics and Lutherans we have undertaken a common journey of reconciliation," the Pope said in Lund.
"Now, in the context of the commemoration of the Reformation of 1517, we have a new opportunity to accept a common path, one that has taken shape over the past 50 years in the ecumenical dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church.
"We have the opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another."
Other Canberra churches will be represented at St Peter's on Sunday and all are welcome. The service begins at 5pm.
To RSVP or for enquiries call 6248 0064.
