Of Leo, Luther, & Benedict
It seems that Pope Benedict may be reconsidering Pope Leo's condemnation of Martin Luther as a heretic. If so, it is quite a step forward from Cardinal Ratzinger's 1998 reaction to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification ... but I will believe it when it moves beyond media speculation and the words actually come with a Vatican seal attached. Read the entire story in the Times online.
(Tip of the Hat to the Reformed Catholicism blog for posting this story).
6 comments:
well! we'll see.
Here from MP and I am smiling because I stopped to email the story to Diane first!! Haha!
Anyway it is interesting. On behalf of idiocy perpetrated by misguided papists over the centuries, please accept my humble apology.
BTW, don't Leo's words sound a little like an immature boy spurned by one who leaves him? "A drunken German..." Really - is that all he could come up with?
Those words do not serve what so many like to think of as centuries of Catholic Intellectual thought do they?
I think this is one of those, "I'll believe it when I see it" moments. This pope has not shied away from turning the clock back, but in doing so he has aimed for quite different results.
BTW...glad your back in the blogosphere.
@ Fran - Indeed, we who are so often disgusted at the politicians who sling mud need only look at our own traditions to see how very immature our own "across the aisle" name-calling has been. Nice to have you drop by.
@ David - I agree, I'm holding any sort of excitement until I see it in a real way. But it would be very good were it to happen. And thanks.
Diane can tell you- I am annoying, but potentially endearing as well! I think!!
Don't take any pope-related story in the Times too seriously. This was Benedict talking at a meeting of scholars, not ex cathedra.
Franiam, it's important to remember that the statements for which Leo excommunicated Luther weren't exactly the backbone of Protestant theology. I got a little snide about it here, but I think it's a pretty good illustration of the nature of Leo's problems with Luther. He wasn't condemning any of the Solas or something equally important. That had to wait until it could be discussed at Trent.
As for what Benedict said, I don't think anybody doubts that Luther was sincere in wanting to reform the established church. From what I can tell, much of what I would call his heresy developed over time as the Vatican refused to listen to him. (At the risk of being overly self-promoting, I also posted on that subject here.)
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