Posted on 07/24/2014 6:35:32 AM PDT by marshmallow
A fierce row between Catholics and Protestants in Germany is the result of a misunderstanding, a German theologian has claimed.
Lutheran leaders had invited the Catholic Church to join them in commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther published his 95 theses.
Luther was opposed to the sale of indulgences, to the Bible not being in the vernacular and to the Church’s doctrinal position on justification through faith – all issues which have seen significant changes over the years.
In 1999 the Catholic and Lutheran Churches issued a joint declaration on the doctrine of justification which set out “a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ”. The declaration was widely seen as important in establishing common doctrinal ground between the Churches.
But when the German Evangelical church (EKD) issued a position paper “Justification and Liberty” in May it did not explicitly mention of the declaration. Cardinal Walter Kasper, former president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said: “I could hardly believe it. That really hurt me”.
He said the EKD should “not forget what we have already formulated together”.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
Well this leaves me scratching my head.
The EDK atuhor who wrote the piece must SURELY have realized what he was writing might be seemed provoking. But I don’t know what the to-do it. It’s not like Lutheranism is the ONLY Protestant denomination. Why the huff over this?
In the years of persecution which followed, they got back to their religious roots, saved Europe from the Muslim hordes at Lepanto and the Gates of Vienna in the late 17th century, and produced some of the greatest art and music which the world has ever known.
The magic of competition tends to inspire such great achievements. Monopolies tend to inspire the opposite.
But when the German Evangelical church (EKD) issued a position paper “Justification and Liberty” in May it did not explicitly mention of the declaration. Cardinal Walter Kasper, former president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said: “I could hardly believe it. That really hurt me”. He said the EKD should “not forget what we have already formulated together”.
Put some salve on it, Kasper.
We have a Communist Muslim terrorist in the White House. He is there because for forty years, prominent Catholic bishops have been encouraging Catholics to vote for pro-abortion politicians. E.g., the “Seamless Garment.”
Now, the Communist Muslim terrorist has thrown open the border, engineering a tsunami of diseased “children” (criminals, rapists, drug mules, gangsters) as a distraction, while terrorists stream across the border unchecked.
The Catholic Church in the United States has been a force for evil for decades. The loudest-mouthed bishops are pro-abortion, supported Obamacare, are for open borders and amnesty. Rome sent us these traitors to be our “bishops.”
Whenever the Church has reached this level of corruption in the past, eventually there has been a cleansing.
Schism, however, remains a mortal sin. It is nothing to celebrate.
Bookmark.
Ouch.
That is where I respectfully disagree. It is everything to celebrate when it brings a large and powerful church back on the right track.
The reform movement (in Germany at least, if not in England) started as an attempt to reform within the RCC and posed such a threat to the papal throne that it became rancorous, ending in a mutual agreement to divorce, followed by war between the "children of divorce." Reformers are often resisted and thrown out -- and then their ideas are co-opted, adapted or adopted.
That said, Queen Elizabeth II graciously came to Jamestown, Virginia a few years ago to celebrate the 500-year anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement, which led eventually to the American War of Independence from England. She also recently toured both entities of Ireland in a most diplomatic fashion, after centuries of bloodshed there. In like manner, the RCC could show a little congeniality to the Lutheran anniversary if they ever want the protties back under one roof again.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this. Poor Cardinal Kasper got his little feelings huuuurt. That's what happens when you live and breathe false ecumenism.
When will the true leaders stand up?
We were talking about this at church the other day. One guy at our table (after church) said “Could we post a 95 Thesis against the German church?”
And the JDDF was a PR stunt. The appendix tacked on pretty much dissolved all that was said.
But even Protestants know that the Catholic Church was One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, don’t they?
The idea that the Church was “running the governments” (outside the papal states) is incorrect. The last time any pope made that pretense was Boniface VIII, who ended up in a French dungeon. The “Babylonian captivity” in Avignon then followed, which ended up in a schism and several pretenders to the papal throne. The schism was finally healed by church councils, but the growing powers of the national kings limited the ability of the pope even to rally Europe against the Turks. The capture of Constantinople and the conquest of the Balkans ended any hope of unifying the Western and Eastern Church. War among the Italian City states, diverted the popes attention to preserving its control of the papal states, and to dressing up Rome with stately new buildings, since the crusader tax was not been spent for its intended purpose. The Germans especially resented this, a tax that drained gold from the German states. The resentment of the abuse of indulgences was, despite what we think we know, was an aggravation of an existing grievance. You may recall that Luther was not much alarmed by the Turkish threat, which he saw more as divine judgement, and the German princes resisted the Emperor’s efforts to end the religious division that Protestantism had caused, in order to present a united front to the Turks. At the same time, the Emperor’s differences with the pope over WHO was the appropriate one to lead Europe against the invader after the fall of Hungary to the Turks, led to the sack of Rome. That the Reformation was not properly addressed until 1530 was not only because of petty politics and certainly not because the pope was embroiled in international politics, but because Europe was divided in the face of an invasion of Europe by the ablest of the Turkish Sultans. Sulieman the Magnificent.
“But even Protestants know that the Catholic Church was One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, don’t they?”
LOL!
For real?
Has nothing that we've been saying for years sunk in yet?
Here, read my lips....
The *church* is the body of Christ comprised of all true believers who have lived throughout the church age regardless of denominational affiliation, those who have been born again into a living hope by faith in Christ
Jesus did NOT establish a denomination.
The OTC is NOT the Roman Catholic church.
LOL
I gotta tell ya Salvation: Do you really think this? Or was this said TIC?
Dang, you just caused me to spew Diet Mountain Dew on my laptop!
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