[SeekAndFind]

Irealize this is a three year old article, but posted it here simply for discussion purposes. No flaming please. Just a civil discussion if possible...

[SeekAndFind]

More here fopr discussion :

http://www.newser.com/story/20839/pope-to-cut-luther-a-break.html

Pope to Cut Luther a Break : Vatican changing view after 500 years

By Peter Fearon

Five centuries after he ignited the Reformation by challenging papal authority, Martin Luther is expected to get a break from—of all people—Pope Benedict XVI. The pope is German and ostensibly that’s the only thing he has in common with Luther. Nevertheless, the pope plans a warmer and fuzzier re-evaluation of the monk who divided Christianity in 1517, according to the Times of London. Benedict is expected to argue that Luther didn’t intend to divide the Church—only cleanse it of corruption.

It’s a bid to launch an ecumenical dialog with Lutherans and bridge a rift created by an earlier papal statement referring to Protestant and Orthodox faiths as defective. “We have much to learn from Luther, beginning with the importance he attached to the word of God,” said the Vatican’s front man on Christian Unity. He observed that Luther “anticipated aspects of reform which the Church has adopted over time.”

[cripplecreek]

A product of his time that can’t really be accurately viewed through the lens of the modern world.

[muir_redwoods]

I was taught essentially the same message in 1961 in Catholic school

[Genoa]

Getting the Lutherans rehabilitated by the Pope will be easier than getting the Pope rehabilitated by the Lutherans.

[Moonman62]

Except for his profane rants against Jews, Luther wasn’t so bad.

[Alex Murphy]

[March 2008:]Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices.

Pope Benedict will issue his findings on Luther (1483-1546) in September after discussing him at his annual seminar of 40 fellow theologians — known as the Ratzinger Schülerkreis — at Castelgandolfo, the papal summer residence. According to Vatican insiders the Pope will argue that Luther, who was excommunicated and condemned for heresy, was not a heretic.

Previously posted when it was current news, SAF. And I can predict the reaction.

Related threads:
Catholic Church called on to revoke Luther's excommunication
That Martin Luther? He Wasn’t So Bad, Says Pope
The Forum: Rehabilitating Luther: a London Times theory
Vatican spokesman calls rumors of rehabilitation of Luther groundless

[AgThorn]

interesting ... missed the post 3 weeks ago. So, doesn’t this say something about Papal infallibility to undo something 500 years old?

To this ex-catholic I hope they do ... and a few more things ... it’s that ‘infallibility’ item that is left open to question if they do though. Maybe that should be reconsidered as well!! ;-)

[Matchett-PI]

bttt

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Piffle!

Retract JDDJ and we MIGHT have a starting place.

[Campion]

Obviously the "Vatican rehabilitation" of Luther didn't happen, which says something about trusting anonymous "Vatican insiders" referenced in the British press. (Pretty much anything you read about the Vatican in the UK secular press is garbage until proven otherwise.)

Luther had some valid insights ... and some not-so-valid ones. Pope Benedict is an honest enough scholar to give credit where credit is due. I'm currently reading his latest book ("Jesus of Nazareth, part II"). He quotes Protestant scholars all over the place. Sometimes he agrees with them. Sometimes he strongly disagrees with them.

[redgolum]

Benedict was the power behind the JDDF, and was upset when other Vatican officials put the appendix in that basically destroyed the talks.

I think the Pope would love to work with the Lutherans. But the current state of apostate synods running around makes it very hard. There are few pan Lutheran bodies which have much authority on what their members believe.

[mlizzy]

Tom O'Toole's latest on Luther (and Corapi) for anyone interested.

[Salvation]

"We are compelled to concede to the Papists
that they have the Word of God,
that we received it from them,
and that without them
we should have no knowledge of it at all."

~ Martin Luther

"We are compelled to concede to the Papists
that they have the Word of God,
that we received it from them,
and that without them
we should have no knowledge of it at all."

~ Martin Luther

[Campion]

I should point out that plenty of things are known infallibly without being the subject of an ex cathedra Papal pronouncement (also called "the extraordinary magisterium")