500 years after the Reformation: End the schism!

National Catholic Reporter ^ | March 1, 2017 | Hans Kung

[ebb tide]

Hans Küng, Catholic priest and Swiss theologian, has taken great pains to end the 16th-century schism between Catholics and Protestants since he wrote his doctoral dissertation on "Justification. The Teaching of Karl Barth and a Catholic Reflection" in 1957. He continues that work today with the release of the statement below, which is being published simultaneously by National Catholic Reporter and The Tablet.

Küng has collected all his writings on the Justification Doctrine in the first volume of his collected works, which is being published by the German publishing house Herder. Sixty years ago, Küng's work led to the consensus reached by both churches on this central matter of dispute. The remaining 23 volumes of Küng's collected works document his efforts for ecumenical understanding and peace between denominations and religions.

It was most gratifying that the chairman of the Protestant Churches in Germany, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, accompanied by the president of the German Catholic bishops' conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, officially visited Pope Francis in Rome together on the occasion of the Reformation Jubilee. The Pope spoke of "an already reconciled diversity." He said he greatly appreciated the spiritual and theological gifts that the Reformation had given us and that he wanted to do everything he could "to overcome the obstacles that still remained."

Already in September 2016, Bishop Bedford-Strohm and Cardinal Marx presented their "Common Word" entitled "Healing Memories — Bearing Witness to Christ." After five centuries of condemning and inflicting wounds upon each other, both the two leading Churches in Germany declared that they intended to celebrate the Reformation anniversary together as a "Feast for Jesus Christ."

A further pivotal point in the commemoration process will be the main Service of Repentance and Reconciliation that the Council of the Protestant Churches and the Catholic bishops' conference will celebrate together at Hildesheim on March 11, 2017.

We have, however, heard Vatican declarations of intent and suggestions of repentance and reconciliation all too often. We ecumenically committed Christians at long last want to see actions. Unfortunately, the "Common Word" does not mention the deadlock that exists in both church hierarchies on the decisive issues and disregards the fact that in many Protestant and Catholic communities, ecumenism has already been practiced for a long time now. For these communities, mutual recognition of each other's ministries and Eucharistic hospitality are no longer a problem. Church leaders lag far behind them. If the leaders do not take the matter of "overcoming the still remaining obstacles" seriously, they alone will have to bear the responsibility for not doing so before God and the faithful.

In the 2017 Jubilee Year, those responsible should consistently put the results of the ecumenical Dialogue Commissions into practice. The Catholic Church should consider the following issues:

*Martin Luther's rehabilitation,

*Lifting all the excommunications that were pronounced in the Reformation era,

*Recognizing Protestant and Anglican ministries,

*Mutual Eucharistic hospitality.

Innumerable Christians want to see the Protestant side bring these postulates to the attention of the Catholic Church just as clearly and outspokenly — but naturally not without the necessary self-criticism. Merely celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation without really ending the schism means incurring yet more guilt. May the pressure exerted by theologians, grassroots Christians, Christian communities, and many committed men and women help the church leadership in Rome and elsewhere, which is so often hesitant and afraid, not to miss this historic opportunity but to wake up, otherwise yet more people will turn away from the Church and more communities and groups will take the law into their own hands! In today's globalized, secularized world, Christianity will only come across as credible if it presents itself in truly reconciled diversity.

[Fr. Hans Küng is a Swiss citizen and professor emeritus of ecumenical theology at Tübingen University in Germany. This article was translated from the German by Christa Pongratz-Lippitt.]

[LadyDoc]

Kung is not even a Christian. He is a one world order church supporter.

[LadyDoc]

Kung is not even a Christian. He is a one world order church supporter.

[ealgeone]

When Catholics tear down their idols of Mary, cease kneeling before those idols while offering up prayers to said idol, quit devoting all of their being to said idol, relying upon said idol to,avoid the hell fire by wearing a piece of cloth, then arthur, we can talk.

Until the Catholic ceases those activities, the Catholic worships Mary. You can lie and deny, but those are the facts.

[chuckles]

You didn't post to me, but upon reading it I thought I might add a comment. You seem to place weight on denomination. By definition, denomination speaks from Traditions of men. The Bible is our touchstone. The "New Age" movement is bringing error into the church and must be avoided, unless you have come to change things and teach them the truth. Get ready for resistance. I was in the same predicament for awhile, but have found a non denominational group now that know their Bible and teach the Truth from Scripture, not other preachers or other books. I actually attended services with teachers using books from men and women authors to teach from. They quoted from men with the same authority of the Bible.

If you are a minister, you have already passed the hard part. If you find it impossible to find a flock to join, start your own. Paul didn't wander all over the ME looking to join a group. He planted churches. I went to a church for years that started decades ago in a tent. After 19 years, they invited a pastor that held to a New Age theology. After much turmoil, the founders of the church with other leadership ended up leaving. A group that started in a man's home is now flourishing and the old church can't pay their bills.

This may not sound like a desirable outcome, but when you surrender to God, He will equip you and go before you to clear the way. There are too many today that just look to be fed instead of doing the feeding. That is why the enemy has his way in flocks today. Don't be alone, but use what God has given you.

[terycarl]

What about it is interpreted wrong? Calling names is just admitting failure. Take and issue and define where it’s wrong.

calling names????? you're the one who called the Catholic church the whore of Babylon...and your interpretations seem very "new age" and simplistic. The Catholic church was started by Christ, on His disciples, and is over 2,000 years old, The Protestant revolution is about 400 years old and the reason it is called protestant is because they were protesting a 1,600 year old religion that they decided was wrong.....There are thousands of Protestant "denominations", all of which think that they are the right one.....we don't all get to make up our own concepts of what reality is, and that's just what they have done.

[chuckles]

No, I didn't call it the Whore of Babylon, John the Revelator did by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In the Bible, "women" are churches, denominations, or religions. Starting in Rev 17:2, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. What country on the planet doesn't have a history with the RCC? Fornication, adultery, and sexual sin, in Scripture represents idol worship, false teaching, and blasphemy. Adherents to her doctrine are "drunk" with the wine of her fornication because they are unable to see reality due to the fog they live in their dogma and not the doctrine of Scripture. Verse 6 speaks of being drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs and John marveled in amazement. He was amazed that a church that claimed Christ would be guilty of murdering more Saints and martyrs than even the enemies of Christ. The RCC has murdered more Christians than any other group in history. Vs 9-Rome is the city on 7 hills. Vs 15 refers to every nation of the world having RCC influence in it. Vs 16, 10 countries will go against the harlot and eat her flesh( Rev 2:20 is the RCC) ( read the story of Jezebel in 2 Kings and how she ended up in the valley if Jezreel, or Armageddon in Greek.) Vs 18 again refers to the universal denomination over the earth.

Chapter 18 has more about the world being drunk on her fornication, but verse 4 chp 18 calls for Christians to come out of her before it's too late. At some point Christians will have to decide to follow Christ or the RCC. You cannot be double minded and please God. You can follow tradition or follow Christ. By defending the RCC, you are showing you are drunk and can't discern reality. RCC's are more defensive of their dogma than Christ.

1Peter 5:13 says Babylon greets you with a kiss. Where was Peter when he wrote this? ..Rome!

The church was started by Christ, that is true, but it wasn't the RCC. I gave you the undeniable history of the first church. James, the brother of Jesus led the church after Jesus ascended. Mathew 16:13-20 shows that in order to be a born again Christian, one must have the identity of Christ revealed to them from heaven. It has nothing to do with Peter other than he was the example Jesus used to explain what the church was. Peter was not made pope. There are no popes in Scripture. In order to be a child of God, the Holy Spirit must reveal to you that Jesus is the Christ and there is no other name under heaven to be saved and that includes the RCC or any other man made device on earth. The RCC did not exist until ~300 AD when Constantine formed it. The church Jesus started would look more like a Messianic Jewish congregation.

You look at everything from a perspective of catholic or protestant. The Bible looks at this as Christian or Babylon. If a Lutheran church is not Christ like, they are left behind to suffer the Beast. We, as individuals are the church, not the building we meet in. The letters to the churches in Revelation are written to individuals not denominations. Are you dead to God as the Sardis church was? Have you lost your first love as the Ephesians? Most to day, are Laodicean,..or lukewarm. The church at Thyatira is written to Catholics. It guarantees being left behind to face the Tribulation if they don't change.

All any Protestant asks is that you would reevaluate you beliefs and why you believe what you believe and back it up with Scripture. I'm not a denominational guy. After 23 years of study of Scripture, I'm just telling you what I believe through reading Scripture. If you choose to continue defending the RCC rather than Christ, that's your choice. 1Ti_2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

Mary and the Apostles are not involved. We are a royal priesthood and saints. We don't need Rome to vote us in.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 1Ti 4:2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 1Ti 4:3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Forbidding to marry is "doctrines of demons". Eating fish on Friday was a made up tradition that comes from a demon. Everything that goes in your mouth is good if it's blessed by God. It's not what goes into your mouth but what comes out that defiles a man.

There are literally hundreds of more verses routinely forgotten by the RCC. The biggest might very well be the Eucharist. When Jesus said you must eat my flesh and drink my blood or you have no part of me, the RCC came up with some voodoo practice to accomplish this impossibility. What Jesus really was saying is you must be guilty of my murder, or you can't partake of My saving Grace. To deny you had anything to do with His death means you have no sin and are self righteous and do not need a Savior. When we take the cracker and grape juice, we are admitting we need His sacrifice and honor His work on the cross. It doesn't need to be changed into the actual flesh of Christ and blood of Christ. That is eating flesh sacrificed to some idol spoken of in Rev 2:20.

Just one more thing to think about,...If you believe the RCC will stand against the gates of Hades as in Mat 16:18, how do you explain Daniel 7:21 and Rev 13:7? The saints are overcome by the Beast in these verses. Obviously the church spoken of in Matthew and Revelation are different saints. If the church at Thyatira is guaranteed to be left behind for the Beast, then The church formed in Matthew 16 is a different church than what is "left behind" in Revelation. You are literally staking you and your family's life on a correct interpretation of Matthew 16.

I'm not an expert on everything the RCC's believe, but don't they teach that Revelation already happened in 70AD? Revelation was written around ~90+AD. Why did John write Revelation 1:3 as prophesy?

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The time is near! I would make it priority one to make sure I understood and was able to prove what I believed. When standing before God, Telling Jesus this is what the RCC taught us won't cut it for an excuse. Satan came to Eve in the Garden and twisted what God said to get her to sin. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan came to Jesus and twisted God's Word to temp Him. He was able to speak Scripture back to him to send Satan away.

Jesus told us how Judgement Day would pan out.

John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. If you worship idols, if you pray to dead people and icons, if you practice the occult, you are choosing the RCC over Christ and will be judged by God's Word.

I hope you read this and take it seriously. I believe God takes it seriously. God bless.

[daniel1212]

He often repeats the lie that Catholics worship Mary.

And Caths say we hate Mary but protesting the unScriptural exaltation of her in Catholicism far far"above that which is written." (1Co. 4:6) But do you mean Ealgeone actually believes that one would have a hard time in Bible times explaining kneeling before a statue and praising the entity it represented in the unseen world, beseeching such for Heavenly help, and making offerings to them, and giving glory and titles and ascribing attributes to such which are never given in Scripture to created beings (except to false gods), including having the uniquely Divine power glory to hear and respond to virtually infinite numbers of prayers individually addressed to them

Which manner of adulation would constitute worship in Scripture , yet Catholics imagine that by playing word games then they can avoid crossing the invisible line between mere "veneration" and worship.

Moses, put down those rocks! I was only engaging in hyper dulia, not adoring her. Can't you tell the difference?

Caths should only do (and I should do more of) what Mary and every believer in Scripture did in praying to Heaven, which was to pray directly to the Lord, not saintly secretaries. But they must truly become born again for that.

Instead, Caths basically say,

As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes... (Jeremiah 44:16-17)

[metmom]

I agree. “Reconciliation” seems to mean that protestants will finally acknowledge the Pope as the leader of all Christian churches per current Catholic doctrine. The changes proposed would not induce me to become a Catholic or accept the Pope as the head of my church. I’m not sure to whom this OP is directed because removing “excommunications” from those excommunicated in the Reformation would not mean much to protestants - we don’t believe in it anyway.

Ping

I agree.

I left the Catholic chruch for a rason, and since that hasn't changed but rather gotten worse, then there's no reason to consider returning to it.

Until and unless they begin to clean house, beginning with their pederast preists and thsoe who enabled them, I see no reason to return to a church that won't follow the direction for church leadership that's in the Bible so many Catholics claim their church wrote.

If they can't follow something out of Scripture that is so clear and unequivocal, there's just no point in associating myself with them.

I won't put myself under the authority of any immoral religious man or organization.

[metmom]

If all chose wisely, all would be Catholics.

If all chose wisely, all would choose JESUS, not religion.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

He often repeats the lie that Catholics worship Mary.

Ah, yes. I see.

He should clearly post that Catholics idolize dear blessed Mary and turn her into a demigoddess by making her into more than God did.

A much more limited number of Catholics worship her.

In defense of individual Catholics... they are just taught extra-biblical falsehoods.

[metmom]

There are too many today that just look to be fed instead of doing the feeding. That is why the enemy has his way in flocks today. Don't be alone, but use what God has given you.

True.

WE are to be the ones ministering.

Ephesians 4:11-14 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

[Mark17]

I won't put myself under the authority of any immoral religious man or organization

Roger that. Where I live, there are many "Berean" types. I enjoy talking to them. 😀

I have seen these "Bereans" perform. What a blessing

[MHGinTN]

Well, Catholic Priest, you lie every time you serve the Mass. You offer a duplicitous god and feed bread to people teaching them to believe it is the real flesh, blood, SOUL and DIVINITY of Jesus Who you have called down from The Throne Room of Heaven to continue sacrificing HIM on your Catholic Altar. So you are the least to accuse someone of lying as you lead folks down the wide road to destruction.

The Truth is not in you ...

[boatbums]

I’m not sure to whom this OP is directed because removing “excommunications” from those excommunicated in the Reformation would not mean much to protestants - we don’t believe in it anyway.

The one who posted the thread should tell you to whom the OP is directed. My educated guess is it's another hit piece on Pope Francis for having the audacity of suggesting Martin Luther and the Reformation contributed anything good to the Catholic church and any kind of reconciliation was possible.

[ealgeone]

He, along with the other catholics, have been shown this yet they continue to persist in their false teaching.

Jesus died once for us. He's in Heaven and is not re-sacrificed over and over a thousand times as O'Brien, another roman catholic priest, wrote.

.

[mrobisr]

966 “Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.”508 The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:
In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.509

You better be worshiping “her” per your cult the very last line says it all...
“she will deliver our souls from Hell”

104 “Mary is the morning star in the midst of the cloud which shines in the height of heaven with the greatest splendor.” St. Peter Damien
“... her who is the true Morning Star... heralding the dawn of salvation.”

I think Holy Scripture says that Jesus Christ is the Morning Star, Rev 22:16

105 O Lady, since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can only come through they hands, our salvation depends on thee.
St.Bernardine of Sienna (1381-1444)

“our salvation depends on thee”

Again you better be worshiping her as your soul depends on it.

109 “For God, having given her power over his only-begotten and natural Son, also gave her power over his adopted children – not only in what concerns their body – which would be of little account – but also in what concerns their soul.” -Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, 1673-1716 AD

She has all the power over Christ since your god gave her power over his only son...

You can say that you don’t worship Mary mother of Jesus of Nazareth, but your own cult rules say that you do and must for salvation.

[mrobisr]

http://www.hetheiligenbeeldenmuseum.nl/lightacandle.html

Go light a candle and tell me you don’t worship her

[chuckles]

So you are saying Paul didn’t start any churches?

[Elsie]

500 years after the Reformation: End the schism!

Get back to me when you RCCs and the EOs get together in one accord.

[Elsie]

The Catholic Church should consider the following issues:

Good luck!