Roman Catholic Church Moving To Reclaim Martin Luther For Roman Catholicism!
Posted by Job on March 6, 2008
Original post from Christian Research Network. My guess is that it means that the ecumenical movement between Roman Catholics and evangelical Christians is moving along swiftly and excellently. If Pope Benedict reverses the excommunication order of Martin Luther, then there will be nothing preventing granting Protestants some sort of official status. Of course, they will do this for the Orthodox Churches (Russian, Greek, etc.) first before they start wading into the hornet’s nest of Protestantism. However, the Protestant denominations that are already members of the apostate World Council of Churches – and other groups that have strong ecumenical ties with Roman Catholicism and have been moving away from the authority of scripture doctrines – will have no problem whatsoever.
That Martin Luther? He Wasn’t So Bad, Says Pope
Published March 6th, 2008 by Ken Silva in Catholicism, General News
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…
Perhaps the Pope–usurper of the place of the Holy Spirit–ought to think on the following. Here’s Martin Luther as cited in Has the Roman Catholic Church Really Changed:
The negotiation about doctrinal agreement displeases me altogether, for this is utterly impossible unless the pope has his papacy abolished. Therefore avoid and flee those who seek the middle of the road. Think of me after I am dead and such middle-of-the-road men arise, for nothing good will come of it. There can be no compromise.
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Now this is all part of the “unity” movement that virtually all of Christendom is speaking of these days, especially the neo – evangelicals like Rick Warren and the emergent church. Brother Silva at Apprising Ministries has several entries on that movement and Roman Catholicism, Southern Baptists, and MORMONS:
TRUE UNITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
ROMAN CATHOLIC MYSTICISM AND THE EMERGING CHURCH
ROMAN CATHOLICISM: A DIFFERENT GOSPEL
MORMON CHURCH IS NOW CHRISTIAN
Between the Purpose Driven works – centered theologians, the emergents, the ecumenical movements, and the Oprah Winfrey New Age movement, the false prosperity doctrine that Pat Robertson and the Chinese government are working together to enslave that nation with, and the emergent Muslims (posts one and two about this at Slice Of Laodicea) we are veering towards one world religion at breakneck speed. All that is needed to push it along is a fantastic economic collapse of global proportions. Well, based on this post by Independent Conservative, looks like that is in the works too!
Timothy said
Perhaps you and Ken are unfamiliar with:
JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION
by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html
God bless…
+Timothy
GaryV said
Horrible…….they’re overturning the Reformation, and spitting on the blood of thousands of martyrs. What did Ridley die for?? Or Cranmer?? Or Tynedale earlier?? What was Hus murdered for?? The Catholic church over the years has slaughtered untold numbers of men and women who stood for the Word of God. Now they’re saying these people were fools.
Independent Conservative said
The cult of Mary can print up all the paper they want, I’ll never join them!
Terry said
You anti-Catholics are a bunch of Morons.
This website is ridiculous.
Terry said
FOUR MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH
If we wish to locate the Church founded by Jesus, we need to locate the one that has the four chief marks or qualities of his Church. The Church we seek must be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.
His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).
Although some Catholics dissent from officially-taught doctrines, the Church’s official teachers—the pope and the bishops united with him—have never changed any doctrine. Over the centuries, as doctrines are examined more fully, the Church comes to understand them more deeply (John 16:12–13), but it never understands them to mean the opposite of what they once meant.
The Church Is Holy (Eph. 5:25–27, Rev. 19:7–8, CCC 823–829)
By his grace Jesus makes the Church holy, just as he is holy. This doesn’t mean that each member is always holy. Jesus said there would be both good and bad members in the Church (John 6:70), and not all the members would go to heaven (Matt. 7:21–23).
But the Church itself is holy because it is the source of holiness and is the guardian of the special means of grace Jesus established, the sacraments (cf. Eph. 5:26).
The Church Is Catholic (Matt. 28:19–20, Rev. 5:9–10, CCC 830–856)
Jesus’ Church is called catholic (“universal” in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of “all nations” (Matt. 28:19–20).
For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28).
Nowadays the Catholic Church is found in every country of the world and is still sending out missionaries to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19).
The Church Jesus established was known by its most common title, “the Catholic Church,” at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Jesus founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it probably went all the way back to the time of the apostles.
The Church Is Apostolic (Eph. 2:19–20, CCC 857–865)
The Church Jesus founded is apostolic because he appointed the apostles to be the first leaders of the Church, and their successors were to be its future leaders. The apostles were the first bishops, and, since the first century, there has been an unbroken line of Catholic bishops faithfully handing on what the apostles taught the first Christians in Scripture and oral Tradition (2 Tim. 2:2).
These beliefs include the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the sacrificial nature of the Mass, the forgiveness of sins through a priest, baptismal regeneration, the existence of purgatory, Mary’s special role, and much more —even the doctrine of apostolic succession itself.
Early Christian writings prove the first Christians were thoroughly Catholic in belief and practice and looked to the successors of the apostles as their leaders. What these first Christians believed is still believed by the Catholic Church. No other Church can make that claim.
Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth
Man’s ingenuity cannot account for this. The Church has remained one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church he established (Matt. 16:18, 28:20).
He guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness (Exod. 13:21). Today he guides us through his Catholic Church.
The Bible, sacred Tradition, and the writings of the earliest Christians testify that the Church teaches with Jesus’ authority. In this age of countless competing religions, each clamoring for attention, one voice rises above the din: the Catholic Church, which the Bible calls “the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
Jesus assured the apostles and their successors, the popes and the bishops, “He who listens to you listens to me, and he who rejects you rejects me” (Luke 10:16). Jesus promised to guide his Church into all truth (John 16:12–13). We can have confidence that his Church teaches only the truth.