Vatican backs plan to name Rome square for Martin Luther

Religion News Service ^ | 08/26/2015 | Rosie Scammell

[E. Pluribus Unum]

ROME (RNS) The Vatican has given its backing to a central Rome square being named after Martin Luther, a church reformer excommunicated by the pope nearly 500 years ago.

A German Catholic priest and theologian, Luther was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation and sparked considerable controversy by challenging the authority of the Catholic Church. He denounced the corruption he saw among clergy in Rome and believed salvation came through faith alone — views that did not sit well with Pope Leo X.

Luther was excommunicated in 1521 and was never allowed to return to the Catholic Church, but now the Vatican’s views have changed.

Next month a hilltop square in Rome is due to be named Piazza Martin Lutero, in memory of Luther’s achievements. The site chosen is the Oppian Hill, a park area that overlooks the Colosseum.

The move has been six years in a making, following a request made by the Seventh-day Adventists, a Protestant denomination, Italian daily La Repubblica said. The original plan was to inaugurate the square in time for the 500th anniversary of Luther’s historic trip to Rome in 2010. City officials were not able to discuss the process behind naming the square or the reason for the holdup.

Despite Luther being thrown out of the Catholic Church during his lifetime, the Vatican reacted positively to news of the square’s upcoming inauguration. “It’s a decision taken by Rome city hall which is favorable to Catholics in that it’s in line with the path of dialogue started with the ecumenical council,” said the Rev. Ciro Benedettini, deputy director of the Vatican press office, referring to a gathering of churchmen to rule on faith matters.

The move contrasts sharply from views held by Luther around the time of his visit to Rome, when it was said he repeated the saying, “If there is a hell, Rome is built over it.”

Dialogue between Lutherans — a Protestant denomination that follows Luther’s teachings — and the Catholic Church was cemented in a document signed by bishops of the two churches in 2013. Pope Francis has also shown an openness to different churches, earlier this year supporting the need for a more unified Christian voice in Europe.

But within Italy there are very few Protestants; just 435,000 Italian citizens identify as Protestant, according to research published in 2012 by the Center for Studies on New Religions. Catholicism continues to be the dominant religion, with 97.9 percent of Italy’s 60 million residents having been baptized Catholic as of 2009.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“He had some legitimate grievances (which the Church had to address), but in the end he was neurotic about his own soul and strayed far from Christ’s teachings regarding salvation.”

God used fallible Luther to recover the Gospel of Grace. That is enough

[UCANSEE2]

It seems to me that if people spent more time worrying about their own behavior rather than the Pope’s,life would be easier for everyone.

[Falconspeed]

Pope Francis is a winner at appearing loving and a loser at defending the Magisterium, just as Lance and Bonds were winners at sports but losers at real life. The phony who became the face the Reformation has no place in Rome, just as Paul VI, the phony who became pope, has not place in the Beatified. Oh well… Let’s focus on the Lord and let Him sort them out.

[Ken H]

I read the headline as => 'Vatican backs plan to name Rome square for Martin Luther King Jr.'

That's probably next.

[Arthur McGowan]

No.

Every single person—Catholic and non-Catholic, layman, priest, bishop, Cardinal—that he brings to Rome to consult or to take some office, is a noted homosexual and/or heretic.

I predict that lots and lots of filth about Bergoglio will come out once he leaves office or dies.

[bayoublazer]

And to think I completed RCIA in 2000. I grew up Lutheran and left an angry teen. I realized my inner beliefs and easily became Catholic. With this and other things from the CURRENT pope, I will continue my faith in my closet. Let them be damned.

[mosesdapoet]

In the meantime a Catholic who wishes to attend a latin mass gets told by his bishop......

[kearnyirish2]

Your point doesn’t stand; there is nothing remotely “Catholic” about Rome anymore. Their birthrate is probably lower than Sparta’s.

Rome is as Catholic as Governor Cuomo in NY.

[kearnyirish2]

Well, he isn’t exactly a private citizen so his behavior is important. I don’t have much to say about him because I understand that just like Martin Luther and Judas (fellow priests), he is just a man.

[BlueDragon]

It seems to me that if people spent more time worrying about their own behavior rather than the Pope’s,life would be easier for everyone.

No double-entendre at all intended to be aimed towards you, but it's much easier to ponder upon some other individual's behavior, and speculatively cast dark cloudy dispersion upon their inwards motivations, (and the opposite too, being even willfully blind to what lack & ills may be there, in hope to excuse what is inconvenient to our own sensibilities) than it is to plumb depth & recess of one's own heart, the heart being

"...deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked; Who can know it?"

May I ask you FRiendly question?

Are you trying to ruin the religion forum, or something?

[GingisK]

why is it naming this square after the Catholic churches chief opponent?

Because they have admitted that he was correct and saved even the Catholic Church eventually. They no longer do most of the things with which Luther took issue, except for worship of the VM and saints.

[UCANSEE2]

Are you trying to ruin the religion forum, or something?

No. It was a general comment aimed at the massive preoccupation over the Pope, especially concerning this issue.

It wasn't aimed at religion, or Catholics in particular.

IIRC, that same idea is contained in the Bible.

[BlueDragon]

It wasn't aimed at religion, or Catholics in particular.

Oh. So you're trying to ruin the entire forum, eh?

I was joking with you (and still am).

I'd gathered that it wasn't aimed at only [Roman] Catholics, seeing how it could work beyond commentary in regards to Francis the talking Francis, who interestingly enough didn't say much of anything this time around, but still was made out to be a like a donkey (for letting a mute statue of Martin Luther stroll into some park in Rome, without raising objection?).

On another thread pertaining to the same statue, a few of the exploding heads around here took it as cue to spout their usual hatreds towards those not of "their" church (and Luther too, of course).

A bit more seriously, if the religion forum could be ruined (in the way which you suggested), I'd say "thanks".

[GreyFriar]

This Vatican backing is new news to me:

ROME (RNS) The Vatican has given its backing to a central Rome square being named after Martin Luther, a church reformer excommunicated by the pope nearly 500 years ago.

[UCANSEE2]

Oh. So you're trying to ruin the entire forum, eh?

You caught me.

I was joking with you (and still am).

I'm smiling.

I'd gathered that it wasn't aimed at only [Roman] Catholics, seeing how it could work beyond commentary in regards to Francis the talking Francis, who interestingly enough didn't say much of anything this time around, but still was made out to be a like a donkey (for letting a mute statue of Martin Luther stroll into some park in Rome, without raising objection?).

Uh... I don't really know enough about the Catholic Religion to know how to make fun of it.

On another thread pertaining to the same statue, a few of the exploding heads around here took it as cue to spout their usual hatreds towards those not of "their" church (and Luther too, of course).

And yet they don't see the hypocrisy.

A bit more seriously, if the religion forum could be ruined (in the way which you suggested), I'd say "thanks".

The religious forum is like the DMZ between North Korea and South Korea.

[UCANSEE2]

ROME (RNS) The Vatican has given its backing to a central Rome square being named after Martin Luther, a church reformer excommunicated by the pope nearly 500 years ago.

How is this a problem ? (addressed to anyone, not you specifically). Isn't this correcting an admitted mistake ?