Wherein Francis once again embraces “bondage of the will” AKA total depravity and ignores the fact that Luther had to destroy Scripture in order to justify his theology. It’s sort of a big deal.
Nugget number one:
“With gratitude we acknowledge that the Reformation helped give greater centrality to sacred Scripture in the Church’s life.”
How so, exactly? Was it when Luther took the Scripture he didn’t like and ripped it right out of the bible? Whole books of Scripture? Or was it when he was adding to or amending verses to change their meaning? Should he have been allowed to tear up the Epistle of St. James, too? He really hated that one, because anything pointing to the fact they we are CULPABLE for our actions contradicts his twisted theology. Francis is also perpetuating the myth that the Church was hiding the bible from the common people for centuries.
Second nugget:
“Through shared hearing of the word of God in the Scriptures, important steps forward have been taken in the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation.”
How so, exactly? We don’t even have the same bible. Theirs is missing the parts that underlie important aspects of Catholic theology (aka TRUTH). Wouldn’t it be a pretty “important step” for them to acknowledge this? As in, “Our founder was so utterly filled with Pride that he dared to desecrate Scripture. This was wrong. We apologize.”
Third nugget:
“Let us ask the Lord that his word may keep us united, for it is a source of nourishment and life; without its inspiration we can do nothing.”
We are NOT united; by their own choice, they remain separated from us. To say we are united is a lie.
Fourth nugget:
“The spiritual experience of Martin Luther challenges us to remember that apart from God we can do nothing…the question of a just relationship with God is the decisive question for our lives.”
Okay, well let’s just focus on Psalm 118 (119), which even the Lutherans have in their bible. Remember, the Lutherans believe we are all ultimately incapable of good works, which first and foremost among good works means obeying the Commandments. Here are the first ten verses of Psalm 118(119):
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that search his testimonies: that seek him with their whole heart. For they that work iniquity, have not walked in his ways. Thou hast commanded thy commandments to be kept most diligently. O! that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications. Then shall I not be confounded, when I shall look into all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned the judgments of thy justice. I will keep thy justifications: O! do not thou utterly forsake me. By what doth a young man correct his way? by observing thy words. With my whole heart have I sought after thee: let me not stray from thy commandments.
That’s just the first ten verses. There are 166 more.
Finally, the fifth nugget:
“With the concept “by grace alone”, (Luther) reminds us that God always takes the initiative, prior to any human response, even as he seeks to awaken that response. The doctrine of justification thus expresses the essence of human existence before God.”
Luther’s doctrine of justification DOES NOT express “the essence of human existence before God.” Hear him in his own words:
Martin Luther – “A person that is baptized cannot, thou he would, lose his salvation by any sins however grievous, unless he refuses to believe. For no sins can damn him but unbelief alone.”, from “The Babylonian Captivity”
“Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides… No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day.”, from Dr. Martin Luther’s Saemmtliche Schriften, Letter No. 99, 1 Aug. 1521.
“Do not ask anything of your conscience; and if it speaks, do not listen to it; if it insists, stifle it, amuse yourself; if necessary, commit some good big sin, in order to drive it away. Conscience is the voice of Satan, and it is necessary always to do just the contrary of what Satan wishes.”, from J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu’elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 248
These are lies. Do not unite yourself to them.
All of this nonsense was refuted at Trent. All the documents are available online.
I cannot even begin to comprehend how any sane person could read Luther’s own actual word’s and defend him. He was an extremely sick and twisted man. One of his own former friends that he was excommunicated with hit the nail on the head in my personal opinion when he said that Luther had a demon in him. He was a vile, hateful, foul-mouthed person. My jaw dropped when I read how he encouraged husbands, and probably did it himself, to use the servant girl when the wife had the “headache”. Sick disgusting man. I would so much like to personally ask Bergoglio if he’s ever actually read the disgusting things Luther wrote, not the whitewashed stuff of his adoring blind followers, and how he can sit there and praise him like he was some kind of flipping hero who did the Church and the world a favor by creating heresy, schism, mass apostasy, war, divisions in dozens of countries for 500 yrs now.