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Posted on 03/23/2009 7:28:25 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
An international expert on church unity has urged the Roman Catholic Church to declare officially that its excommunication of Martin Luther no longer applies.
Such a statement, "in these ecumenically less exciting times ... would be a remarkable step and a sign of hope and encouragement", said the Rev Günther Gassmann, a German Lutheran theologian, who was director of the World Council of Churches' Faith and Order Commission from 1984 to 1995.
Born in 1483, Luther trained as a Catholic monk, but was excommunicated by the Catholic Church in 1521 after refusing to retract teachings the church judged to be heretical.
In a 19 March lecture in Rome, Gassmann said that a joint Lutheran-Catholic statement published in 1983 to mark the 500th anniversary of Luther's birth had sought to elaborate a common position on the work and legacy of the reformer.
"Luther, a major symbol and personification during 400 years of the past Catholic-Lutheran conflict and division, is now seen as a common teacher," Gassmann noted, at the Centro Pro Unione, an ecumenical research centre in the Italian capital.
He urged the Catholic Church to receive officially, "this changed evaluation of Martin Luther".
In 2008, the Vatican's top official for Christian unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper, encouraged Catholics to read Luther's hymns, which he declared were "full of spiritual power", and his commentaries on the Bible.
"One will then discover a Luther who is full of the power of faith, whom one cannot simply make Catholic, whom we find provoking and even alien in many respects, but from whom even Catholics can learn," said Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity since 2001.
Gassmann presented an overview of the results of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue from 1965 to 2005. He praised the 1999 signing by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation of a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification as a "unique" event.
This represented, he said, "an agreement concerning the most fundamental theological difference between Catholics and Lutherans at the time of the Reformation and ever since".
It was the first, and so far only, time that the Catholic Church and one of its dialogue partners have officially confirmed the results of a bilateral dialogue, Gassmann added.
Gassmann noted that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - now Pope Benedict XVI - had been involved in the latter stage of talks that led to the signing of the declaration.
"The Joint Declaration continues to act as an impulse and encouragement of both initiating and intensifying Catholic-Lutheran relationships in many places of the world," he said, also drawing attention to the acceptance of the statement by the World Methodist Council in 2006.
Gassmann urged the LWF, a global grouping of Lutheran churches, and the Vatican's Christian Unity council to set up a special group to evaluate results of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue with a view to them being submitted for "official reception and affirmation".
These included statements on the Eucharist and on other issues that have divided the Lutheran and Catholic churches, such as the nature of ordained ministry. Although differences remain, "We can speak of a far-reaching agreement on the doctrine and practice of the Eucharist. This represents a significant result," said Gassmann.
"This [official affirmation] would have an enormous impact on our churches," said Gassmann. "This would inspire ecumenical hope and confidence in our time."
[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.]
I finally found an English translation of Domine Exurge, which was really hard to find. Here is a good link: http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Leo10/l10exdom.htm
It was such a sweet overture to Father Luther. It was sad to see the shepherd out looking for the lost sheep, and coming back home empty handed.
Martin Luther was tormented by demons at the close of his life, about the damage he did to the Church. Every one of us will be facing similar prosecuting attorneys at our private judgement, but it does not bode well for one to be the source of scandal.
Lutherans need to examine whether the tradition of men they have been born into is the real McCoy. It’s not their fault to have received revelation in tattered form.
The Catholic church is the real deal. Ask any incorruptible their opinion.
God Bless us in our search for unity under Truth.
Ok
Gee, now that is a response that will redefine my attitude toward general debate and all that that might incur. Glad I have your imprimatur on my response.
Sorry...Luther’s ideas about reforming the Church were good. Too much corruption.
As far as Jews, well 78% of American (liberal) Jews did a great job electing Hussein, which may lead to Israel being vaporized. I think they would have voted for Arafat’s corpse if he had a D after his name. Insane.
More intelligent Israelis 3 to 1 wanted the non-Muslim to win. Holocaust author Elie Weasel fawns over Obama endlessly.
Sorry...Luther’s ideas about reforming the Church were good. Too much corruption.
In a sense that may be, but it doesn't make him right. The Church is not a democracy to be petitioned for change, and when not responsive enough, to be torn apart. That is basically what the Pelosi's of the world are doing right now. They are fighting for reform and think that they should be able to bring pressure on Rome in order to effect their desired changes. Luther, good as his intentions were and as right as he may have been on many things, carried that to the extreme and ended up with a massive schism. I don't see how we can accept his actions and condemn those of people like Pelosi or Notre Dame as some are doing on this thread.
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