Posted on 10/21/2013 6:17:58 PM PDT by marshmallow
In his address to the Lutheran World Federation and representatives of the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity, Francis said “there are no lack of difficulties but we must not be afraid”
“Catholics and Lutherans can ask forgiveness for the harm they have caused one another and for their offenses committed in the sight of God,” Francis said during this morning’s audience with the delegation of the Lutheran World Federation and representatives of the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity.
The Pope’s meeting with Bishop Munib Younan, the Federation’s president and its secretary, Martin Junge, follows on from the “very cordial and pleasant meeting” which took place during the inaugural celebration of Francis ministry as the Bishop of Rome.
“It is with a sense of profound gratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ that I think of the many advances made in relations between Lutherans and Catholics in these past decades, not only through theological dialogue, but also through fraternal cooperation in a variety of pastoral settings, and above all, in the commitment to progress in spiritual ecumenism. In a certain sense, this last area constitutes the soul of our journey towards full communion, and permits us even now a foretaste of its results, however imperfect. In the measure in which we draw closer to our Lord Jesus Christ in humility of spirit, we are certain to draw closer to one another. And, in the measure in which we ask the Lord for the gift of unity, we are sure that he will take us by the hand and be our guide,” Francis said.
“This year, as a result of a now fifty year old theological dialogue and with a view to the commemoration of the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, the text of the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity was published, with the significant title.......
(Excerpt) Read more at vaticaninsider.lastampa.it ...
So, is Martin Luther forgiven?
I can name, offhand, three groups of Lutherans that reject affiliation with the LWFederation.
Have Catholics and Lutherans been throwing bombs at each other or something?
Although the Church has never spoken definitively about the state of his soul, we have been singing the adapted versions of the hymns he wrote in mass for many years.
If he believed what he preached, of course.
I’m a Lutheran and I didn’t know we still had a feud going on. I thought that was settled centuries ago.
Seriously though, if the Pope is really looking to increase religious peace, he might want to focus on another unnamed religion that has problems getting along with every other religion on the planet.
know = knew
Is the Pope then going to correct the errors of the Roman church? Oh, wait, this is the LWF he’s dealing with. They don’t care.
My wife was a Lutheran, she converted when she married , there isn’t a lot of difference in the religions, so she says.
Luther seems to have been a Christian of great intellect.
I guess that beatification is still not on the horizon?
Official Lutheran Doctrine still sees the ‘Harlot of Babylon’ in Revelation as a future Pope.
Unless you want to tell me otherwise.
....which means what then? Are you a prisoner of old doctrine and a future Pope?
ZACKLY! And even so, if they threw them at church buildings, the casualties would be very low.....
I dont really care about any arguments, just simple facts as best I know them.
Good Luck
But what are the facts?
Maybe I’m just not trying hard enough, but I truly have a challenge in understanding where he is coming from and where he is taking the church. To your point, I concur completely.
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