Ecumencial Developments: Lutheran-catholic Dialogue

1983 marked the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther, founder of the German Reformation, whose tremendous challenge to the Roman Catholic Church so deeply affected the religious and political history of Europe. A Catholic priest and theological lecturer, Luther's own deep spiritual exercise led him to the conviction that faith in Christ alone justified the sinner, apart from works. On the basis of this central conviction he powerfully challenged the Papacy in 1517, with his "95 Theses" about the sale of indulgences. There followed the great breach with the Catholic Church, and by the end of the 16th century two-thirds of the population of Germany had accepted Lutheranism. This also became the official religion of the Scandinavian countries, and emigration to North America later gave rise to vast numbers of Lutheran churches in Canada and USA. Lutherans today claim a world membership of 69 million, located in 85 different countries.

Let it be clearly understood, of course, that today's Lutheran churches do not necessarily preach the gospel as understood by Martin Luther, any more than modern Methodism uniformly continues to teach the gospel as preached by the Wesleys. There is said to he lacking in the old European churches "the passion for God and His truth that characterized the original Lutheran. Instead much of Protestantism has come to represent individualism, doctrinal confusion and a proliferation of separate churches."

Since the Second Vatican Council (1962-5) brought such a dramatic change in the Roman Catholic Church's attitude to other religious groups there has been a gradual development of dialogue with Lutheranism. An international Lutheran-Catholic commission has discussed the possible basis of reunion. It has progressed to the point where both sides can agree on basic doctrines, and can reconcile their theology regarding what occurs in communion. In 1980 they arrived at an agreed statement:

It is only by grace and faith in Christ's saving work, and not because of any merit in us, that we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts and equips us for and calls us to good works.

A similar dialogue commission of representative Lutherans and Catholics has also been at work in the USA, and on the 7th October, 1983 they issued a "historic declaration of convergence" on the doctrine of justification. This 21,000 word report, the product of five years' work, affirms that "ultimate hope and trust for salvation are to be placed in the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and not in our own goodness, even when this is God-given. . . Christians have no other basis for eternal life and hope of final salvation through God's free gift in Jesus Christ." The report adds that "justifying faith cannot exist without hope and love: it necessarily issues in good works. Yet the justified cannot rely on their own good works or boast of their merits as though they were not still in need of mercy... The eternal reward promised to the righteous is a gift, for it depends wholly on God's grace in Christ, the one mediator between God and fallen humanity."

Catholic agreement to this declaration would appear to contrast favourably with Luther's excommunication from their church in the 16th century because he attacked the idea that salvation could be earned by good works and by ecclesiastical observances, such as paying for masses or indulgences to reduce penalties in purgatory. Nevertheless the wording of the agreed statement leaves room for different interpretations of the place of good works in relation to saving faith. There is confusion between reward and gift, so sharply contrasted in Rom. 4:4. Moreover, if Christ is indeed "the one mediat6r between God and fallen humanity," why the Catholic doctrine of the intercession of Mary and the saints? This it seems is next on the agenda for Lutheran-Catholic dialogue.

One of the leading world authorities on Luther, a certain Heiko Oberman, of Tubingen University in West Germany, recently commented: "There is a hunger for an ecumencial Luther, so now they are extracting all his teeth!" A perceptive comment! For there is today a chorus of Catholic praise for Martin Luther, completely reversing the traditional view of him as the arch-heretic. Here are a few samples:

"No one who came after Luther could match him. On the question of truth,

Luther is a life-saver for Christians."

(Catholic theologian, Maine)

"Martin Luther's action was beneficial to the Catholic Church."

(Vatican's specialist on Lutheranism)

"A valuable teacher of Christian spirituality."

(Jesuit Jared Wicks)

"A man of profound religiousness."

(Pope John Paul)

Just before Christmas 1983 Pope John Paul visited a Lutheran church in Italy. By this gesture he became the first Pope to join in any Protestant worship in Italy and the first to preach in a Lutheran church. The Lutheran pastor read a prayer written by Martin Luther while efforts at healing the breach with Rome were still being pursued: "We pray you, Lord, and we beg you that with the aid of your Spirit you will return to unity what was fragmented." The Pope included in his homily these sentiments:

This meeting moves me to the bottom of my heart. We ardently desire unity

and we make every effort to achieve it without being discouraged by the

difficulties we may meet on the road.

A correspondent remarks: "Combined with John Paul's visit to the mother church of Anglicanism at Canterbury in 1982, the Lutheran service was one more step in the long process of unification." As we watch from the side-lines in the light of Scripture, we see this process moving inexorably forward towards the formation of the great apostate religious system at the time of the end.

unknown | May 1984
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