Cardinal: Francis has been no response to the invitation EKD
Rome (kath.net / idea ) The expectation that Pope Francis is to come to the 500-year anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 in Germany has been downplayed by the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch. The Pope had given no reply to the invitation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany Council Chairman, President i.R. Nikolaus Schneider (Berlin), said the Swiss Cardinal in an interview with Vatican Radio. In a private audience on 8 April Schneider had invited the head of the Roman Catholic Church, to participate in Wittenberg in the events commemorating the theses of the reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) 31 October 1517. The Vatican sees, among other things, no reason to “celebrate" the Reformation, its following schism and the religious wars of the 16th and 17th Centuries, but wishes only “recollect” it.
Schneider: It's about a Feast for Christ
The ELCG Council stressed that it was not the anniversary of the Reformation to go about celebrating "the birth of the Protestant church." Luther did not want to found a new church, but to reform the Catholic. It would also not hide the dark side of the Reformation and the Reformer. Rather, the anniversary should be designed as a Christian festival that every Christian can celebrate.
Koch: the Vatican is not a contact person for the ELCG
Koch also pointed out to Vatican Radio different responsibilities. The Vatican is not the actual contact person for the ELCG, but the German Bishops' Conference. Lutheranism, by contrast, has a “worldwide presence," said Koch. The Vatican engages in theological conversations especially with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). They had agreed together in the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in1999. Koch himself took part last November while participating in the General Synod of the United Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD) Timmendorfer Strand in Luebeck, but not at the subsequent ELCG Synod. The Lutheran Evangelical Church doesn’t understand itself as an autonomous church, but as a community of 20, United and Reformed churches.
Paper completed on Reformation Commemoration
As Koch said in the current interview further in view of discussions between the Catholic and the Lutheran church, the competent International Commission has prepared a document to commemorate 2017th year of the Reformation. It is expressed in the English title "From Conflict to Communion" (From Conflict to Community). The paper is finished, but is to be released only after the German translation is complete. Worldwide, the Roman Catholic Church has about 1.2 billion members. The number of Lutherans is [merely] about 74 million, which includes nearly 71 million to the LWF member churches.
Pope Francis receives EKD Church President Nikolaus Schneider - Pope meets with Francis first Protestant leader (Rome Reports)
I couldn't read past the first 3 or 4 sentences. I'll have to try again later. If Pope Francis attends it will be Another Be All to End All. Can you bear the thought?
ReplyDeleteMangled… Looks like a gentle snub to me. He referred them to the German Bishops Conference.
DeleteI'll read it all. And Oh Our Lord, Tancred did you disappear the comments for Mellow Out SubCaths ? Are you going to disappear the Post too ?
ReplyDeleteI’ll check the spam filter. Did it disappear?
DeleteComment said 6 comments. Click on, "This page cannot be found"
ReplyDeleteRest assured, I can see the following comment: <>
DeleteMarcelo Gonzalez says in his post that he is tired of... I am too, way tired of it. I'm so tired of it I can't think clearly. Everything that Mr.Gonzalez states is accurate. Why do more people not find it very peculiar and unique that this topic can not be discussed in public forums. The Market is cornered by the One and Only Narrative, Period. How many people think it very odd that the Narrative is so very guarded that that it seems there is fear that the Narrative might have weaknesses in accuracy. The Narrative as it stands grants disproportionate privilege, deference, honor and more. That this deference, honor and insinuated guilt "Changes" the very central Doctrine of the Catholic Faith, the very central reason for the Catholic Church's existence is possibly the greatest heresy in the history of the Faith. Dual Theology is being "discussed", "explored" in Catholic Seminaries.
DeleteThere are so many Dawn Eden Goldsteins accusing! I read her piece at Patheos Why I am Catholic blog a few days ago. She said a lot of the usual and had very uninteresting Links. At the end of the piece she said "Moral of the Story: Stay Away From The SSPX. I left a comment saying Ms. Eden's Moral of the Story was quite supercilious and that I'm sure she is not a theologian. My comment disappeared and I inquired about it. I checked back next day and the Post was gone and still seems not to be found. Certainly not because of only my comment but a number of comments I suppose. People have reason to be way tired of this, dismayed and more.
I visit a Jewish man's blog. This man doesn't agree with his Jewish brethren about a number of things. One of his posts a little while back was titled "They Never Know When To Quit". I couldn't agree more.
They want us to celebrate 500 years of heresy and schism with them? How cheecky!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that ++Koch downplayed the idea.
ReplyDeleteThey must be really goofy or think the Pope is.
ReplyDelete