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ChurchWatch

Join Craig von Buseck weekdays as he shares his perspective on the major trends and news affecting the Body of Christ today.

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Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

"Luther would have been amazed at the efforts of the Vatican today to put the Bible back into the heart of the Roman Catholic Church," writes Jeff Fountain of Christian Today.

Fountain reports that during Pope Benedict XVI's recent weekly public addresses in St. Peter's Square, he quoted Martin Luther in declaring "Sola fide," that salvation is by faith alone.

Pope Benedict XVIAccording to this report, Benedict affirmed that Luther had correctly translated Paul's words as 'justified by faith alone' -- the well known sola fide.

It was disagreement over the doctrine of salvation by faith that sparked the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, splitting Christianity in Western Europe. "Yet, said the Pope, it was indeed biblical to say, as did Luther, that it was the faith of a Christian, not his works that saved him."

By defining "faith" as "identification with Christ expressed in love for God and neighbor," Pope Benedict qualified his statement, noting that the Apostle Paul had written about such faith in his letters, especially the one to the Philippians.

According to Fountain, the Pope highlighted the fact that prior to his Damascus Road conversion, Paul had strictly adhered to all the Pharisaical laws and rules. However, after meeting the Lord Jesus in his vision, Paul began leading a lifestyle of faith alone.

Fountain goes on to explain that last October, bishops from around the world were called to Rome for a three-week synod to discuss how to promote prayerful reading, understanding and proclamation of God's Word. "Pope Benedict XVI himself kicked off the synod with a round-the-clock Bible reading marathon lasting a whole week, by reading the opening verses of Genesis. Twelve hundred readers took part, including Orthodox and Evangelical leaders."

"So now Benedict is personally leading the way to encourage Catholics to engage with Scripture," Fountain writes. "The theme of the synod was 'The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.' The pope told the gathered bishops that true reality was to be found in the Word of God."

According to Fountain, the Bible Society of the UK has been assisting the Vatican to promote the reading of Scripture through the Lectio Divina Project. This resource for Catholics provides notes and prayers to go with weekly lectionary readings of the Sunda Mass. You can download this resource at http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/l3.php?id=251.

Fountain tells how he flew to Switzerland recently for an interconfessional gathering of "Together for Europe." "Talk of the synod there prompted someone to quote Cardinal Kaspers' recent statement: 'The Word divided us; the Word must unite us.'"

"We began to dream about how Christians in Europe could celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 - less than nine years away - as a prophetic statement by Catholics and Protestants together that the Word that once divided us is now uniting us again."

Fountain concludes joyfully, "That would be a giant step toward the fulfilment of Luther's original dream of a Bible-centred Church!"

Read Jeff Fountain's full article, Luther, Rome and the Bible

Download the Lectio Divina Project: www.biblesociety.org.uk/lectio.

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Print      Email to a Friend    posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 12:44 PM

Comments on this post

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

This is wonderful news. Already there are starting to be rumblings on the internet about possibly the entire ELCA as well as the Missouri Synod entering the Catholic Church! Unity at last.
Left by michael on Feb 07, 2009 3:14 PM

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

I'm sure the Pope's whole speech was more balanced. What you imply is simply not what the Catholic church teaches or the Bible for that matter. (In the Bible, two or three witnesses establish facts, not one isolated phrase or sentence.) At every Catholic Mass, two readings from the Bible and one from one of the four Gospels is read. If you attend daily Mass for three years, you will have heard the entire Bible read. This is nothing new, it's been around since Catholic monks copied/preserved the Bible by hand because there were no printing presses. (The Catholic church is just using updated media, like everyone else.) By faith we are saved, but faith without works is dead. It has to be a living faith. Even the demons believe in Jesus and tremble, but their belief does not save them. There is a difference between being childlike and trusting God and in being childish, lazy, and fooling ourselves with wishful thinking.
Left by LydiaRose on Feb 08, 2009 6:21 PM

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

thank you for this information. my husband and his family are all catholic. i cant even tell you the last time he or most of his family cracked open a bible. they think they dont need to, they get what they need at mass. with the pope taking a stand on this issue, maybe more catholics will see that they need this the word of God every day. they need their church leader to step up. and it appears this has started to happen-finally. it is ecspecially important for him to not condemn luther. that is something the RCC has thrived on since it happened. maybe now he can unite christians together, and there not be such a divide between "us" and "them".
Left by ivelostmyself on Feb 09, 2009 1:44 PM

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

You are implying that as Catholics we don't read the bible? That surprises me, as I have attended many many bible studies, retreats taught and directed by Catholics. Most of us do read and study scriptures. You have misinterpreted and misrepresented what Benedict has stated. We do live the word of God. We do read the word of God. Our faith is based on scripture. Have you studied and aware that many evangelicals and lutherans etc. are coming back to our church because the vail has been removed and are in love with the Eucharist? Tune into EWTN and please know and begin to learn that we are not as unlearned as you have implied. God bless you. I love your columns, however this one was way off center and perhaps you should learn more about Catholicism.
Left by mary19481 on Feb 09, 2009 8:52 PM

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

I am Catholic born & raised. This is the one time I agree w/the Pope. I became a Christian May 21 1995. When I go to my Parish, the ONLY one that preaches, Jesus, The Holy, and Faith in Christ, is out Msngr. Florek. He loves the Lord. You can hear & see it; when he speaks or just having a one to one conversation with him. I wish more Priests' & Nun's would get w/it and preach the Gospel and it was intended. Maybe w/this new Pope, they will.
Left by Earlene Giordano on Feb 11, 2009 10:23 AM

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

One must always keep in mind the Catholic eagerness to find common ground (they see their strength, an affirmation of the reality of their creed, and perhaps just a touch of irony in that). But none of the emphases have changed. Notice that the justification of faith is not only in the justness of Christ, but in His making us just. And the latter part of the statement is in full consonance with the historic position of the saints--namely that faith is one with obedience. "If you love me you will obey my commandments." It becomes, we hope, increasingly indiscernible (and here's a mystery) whether we obey the commandments because we love Christ or whether our obedience is an unconscious affirmation of that love, but none of this leaves the context of the Church (what it sees itself as), which is in part the Doctrine supporting the Life. When it comes to what commandments we are to obey there are, of course, differences. Contraception is a biggie (further common ground with Luther there).
Left by krane22 on Feb 15, 2009 11:13 PM

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

Hello, I believe Protestants could learn a lot about our Lord's teachings from our Catholic brothers and sisters... Now with the Vatican adding new "deadly sins" one being pollution and another "obscene wealth" and "causing poverty" (there are others)...in our day some seem to believe abortion and gay marriage are the top concerns refusing to include environmental concerns even though many are poisoned with mercury due to fossil fuels contaminating fish and air quality causing miscarriage and cancers...and many politicians say their pro-life only to get elected and then serve all-mighty dollar...now with the new sins (sins have not been added in 1,500 years in Catholicism) I hope there will be a much needed broader perspective of morality so politicians can no longer "use" pro-life and gay marriage as the top moral concerns (excluding all others) now that causing poverty is seen as a mortal sin by the catholic church, which i hope will hold our corporations etc. more accountable for greed.
Left by suzanne on Feb 18, 2009 9:40 PM

# RE: Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'

Well, the current distribution of wealth is an obvious evil. I think the Pope was smart to name those things because we think of evil these days, almost blasphemously, on such a large scale, in terms like genocide and infanticide, by way of news and journalism rather than myth and parable. But Christianity remains most of all a religion of small things and private virtue (not to mean practiced privately), and the denunciation of any sin is to the end of positive personal virtue. Public good is ultimately to the end of private good. Pro-life campaigns are to the end of preserving private lives.
Left by krane22 on Feb 20, 2009 12:38 PM