[Cletus.D.Yokel]

:: followers of Martin Luther ::

Yo! Papa Benny! You just “lost” all the real Lutherans with that rhetoric.

[Claud]

That was the article’s author, not Benedict.

And not trying to be insulting here but just curious...why is that language so grating? Lutherans call themselves that. Anglicans never called themselves “Cranmerians” that I’m aware of.

[BillyBoy]

>> :: followers of Martin Luther :: <<

>> Yo! Papa Benny! You just “lost” all the real Lutherans with that rhetoric <<

Referring to Lutherans as "followers of Martin Luther" is inappropriate rhetoric? What would you suggest the Pope refer to them as? Should he also avoid referring to members of the Ayn Rand society as "followers of Ayn Rand"?

[SecondAmendment]

:: followers of Martin Luther ::

Roman Catholicism, the Democrat Party of Christianity.

[wideawake]

When did the Pope use “that rhetoric”?

[ArrogantBustard]

Rather than hurling incendiary rhetoric and brainless insults, you might try offering constructive comments on this forum.

You might even answer reasonable questions:

What, exactly, does "Lutheran" mean? What distinction are the "Lutheran Church Missouri Synod", "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America", "Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod" and similarly named bodies making when they label themselves "Lutheran"?

I note, by contrast, than no body or organization calls itself "papist".

[Campion]

"That rhetoric" is Alessandro Speciale's rhetoric. If you want to complain that a reporter for La Stampa has offended Lutherans, fine ... but who cares?

"Papa Benny" didn't give the interview Speciale describes, Cardinal Koch did. It was an interview, not a formal document, so obviously it wasn't reviewed by anybody in the Vatican. The actual interview is here. You'll note that Cardinal Koch uses the word ... get this ... "LUTHERANS". Ghastly!

This thread is a good example of why FReepers need to actually *read* *and* *understand* *primary* *sources* rather than going off half-cocked based on every ill-considered word from the pen of a journalist.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yo! Herr Yokel!

You might want to amend that to say "Mgr. Müller" and "Cardinal Koch". Danke.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I consider myself a real Lutheran—Lutheran Cburch Missouri Synod—we left the liberal ELCA 14 years ago.

[Psiman]

I follow the BIBLE! not Martin Luther.

No Popes!

[Cronos]

Please note that followers of Martin Luther is what the JOURNALIST wrote, not the Pope or anyone else. It's a wrong term and should not be used. Lutheran or Evangelical Lutheran is the right sub-division of these Christians

[Cronos]

hi JCB, Arrogantbustard -- both redgolum and Mr. Lucky are FR FRiends of mine and I respect their ability to disagree with us Catholics and yet not smear mud, leave alone jump on the "I haf caflix" band-wagon.

This is true of nearly all Lutherans on FR

Using the term "followers of Luther" was what the journalist wrote and, like most journalists, is stupid.

We Catholics on FR have enough of silly names tossed at us, we should not do that to our Lutheran Christian brethren.

The Lutherans believe in Trinitarian Christianity, in the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They even have the sacrament of Confession (though in a lesser form) and have beliefs close to us in orthodoxy

that's the Lutheran parish here in Warsaw

I beg you to refrain from using antagonistic words with our Lutheran Christian brethren -- we can disagree in a nicer way.