Fr. Corapi and Corruption in the Church--Pope Clarifies Luther's Idea of Justification

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Mark, I saw the title which you posted and thought, what the .... Then I read the Holy Father's address and found that he says no such thing. He merely speaks in a conciliatory tone, saying that the formula, Justification by faith alone, can be understood in a Catholic manner, and this is true. This is how Catholics such as St Clement of Rome, St Augustine, St Bernard of Clairveaux, to name just a few, have used that formula. In other words, Pope Benedict is correctly explicating the teaching of Saint Paul the Apostle. As a former Lutheran, with a Masters in Divinity from the most conservative Lutheran seminary in the US and a pastor for nine years, I know very well how different Luther's doctrine of Faith alone is from what the Holy Father said. Pope Benedict made the necessary connection between Faith and Charity which Luther excluded in his radical dialectic of Law and Gospel. Are you trying to be inflammatory? If so, why?
Philomena Registered: Nov 08, 2008 Posts: 862	Posted Nov 20, 2008 at 01:59 PM  #3  Gabriel, Could you explain what the principle differences are between the Catholic view and Luther's? I've never really understood his philosophy.
Registered: Member deleted Posts: N/A	Posted Nov 20, 2008 at 02:06 PM  #4  A different take on the same story. Pope Clarifies Luther's Idea of Justification Says It's True, if Faith Is Not Opposed to Love VATICAN CITY, NOV. 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says Martin Luther's doctrine on justification is correct, if faith "is not opposed to charity." The Pope said this today during the general audience dedicated to another reflection on St. Paul. This time, the Holy Father considered the Apostle's teaching on justification. He noted that Paul's conversion experience on the road to Damascus "changed his life radically: He began to regard all his merits, achievements of a most honest religious career, as 'loss' in face of the sublimity of knowledge of Jesus Christ." "It is precisely because of this personal experience of the relationship with Jesus that Paul places at the center of his Gospel an irreducible opposition between two alternative paths to justice: one based on the works of the law, the other founded on the grace of faith in Christ," the Pontiff explained. "The alternative between justice through the works of the law and justice through faith in Christ thus becomes one of the dominant themes that runs through his letters." What is law But in order to understand this Pauline teaching, Benedict XVI affirmed, "we must clarify what is the 'law' from which we have been freed and what are those 'works of the law' that do not justify." He explained: "Already in the community of Corinth there was the opinion, which will return many times in history, which consisted in thinking that it was a question of the moral law, and that Christian freedom consisted therefore in being free from ethics. [...] It is obvious that this interpretation is erroneous: Christian liberty is not libertinism; the freedom of which St. Paul speaks is not freedom from doing good." Instead, the Pope said, the law to which Paul refers is the "collection of behaviors extending from an ethical foundation to the ritual and cultural observances that substantially determined the identity of the just man -- particularly circumcision, the observance regarding pure food and general ritual purity, the rules regarding observance of the Sabbath, etc." These observances served to protect Jewish identity and faith in God; they were "a defense shield that would protect the precious inheritance of the faith," he remarked. But, the Holy Father continued, at the moment of Paul's encounter with Christ, the Apostle "understood that with Christ's resurrection the situation had changed radically." "The wall -- so says the Letter to the Ephesians -- between Israel and the pagans was no longer necessary," he said. "It is Christ who protects us against polytheism and all its deviations; it is Christ who unites us with and in the one God; it is Christ who guarantees our true identity in the diversity of cultures; and it is he who makes us just. To be just means simply to be with Christ and in Christ. And this suffices. Other observances are no longer necessary." And it is because of this, the Bishop of Rome continued, that Luther's expression "by faith alone" is true "if faith is not opposed to charity, to love. Faith is to look at Christ, to entrust oneself to Christ, to be united to Christ, to be conformed to Christ, to his life. And the form, the life of Christ, is love; hence, to believe is to be conformed to Christ and to enter into his love." "Paul knows," he added, "that in the double love of God and neighbor the whole law is fulfilled. Thus the whole law is observed in communion with Christ, in faith that creates charity. We are just when we enter into communion with Christ, who is love."
Tradcat Registered: July 17, 2007 Posts: 1,185	Posted Nov 20, 2008 at 02:12 PM  #5  Ecumenism with heretics does not work. Why should we be conciliatory? If there are unequivocal condemnations, instead of the "seeking of common ground," the heretics (in this case, Lutherans and Protestants of most stripes) will clearly know that the Catholic Church does not tolerate their position, and that they must convert to Her for salvation. This truth is under grave assault today. __________________ God bless, Eric Love God, serve God: everything is in that. -- St. Clare of Assisi Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven. -- Pope St. Pius X http://rencesvals.blogspot.com
maurin Registered: Nov 02, 2008 Posts: 18	Posted Nov 20, 2008 at 03:17 PM  #6  Quote: Originally Posted by Tradcat Ecumenism with heretics does not work. Why should we be conciliatory? If there are unequivocal condemnations, instead of the "seeking of common ground," the heretics (in this case, Lutherans and Protestants of most stripes) will clearly know that the Catholic Church does not tolerate their position, and that they must convert to Her for salvation. This truth is under grave assault today. " 'Let us focus on what unites us rather than on what divides us," [the false ecumenists] say, as well as many similar sophisms.  Obviously there is some truth in every kind of error.  The elements of truth makes it possible for error to exist.  If the error were pure, no one would care about it.  The good elements, mixed with the bad, enable error to propagate.  If you tell a Protestant about all the things upon which you agree with him, you simply confirm him in his error.  You point out what is good; hence, he is pleased with what you tell him.  If you don't speak about his errors, how will he ever come to know that there is something amiss?  How can he be driven to convert?  If you only mention the things about which he is correct, you will never bring about his conversion.  In the end, this friendly attitude towards everyone is a very false charity.  It is, in fact, often called 'charity.'  Charity is a notion which has been terrivly falsified in our time.  You often hear them say to followers of false religiuons:  'Be a good Protestant (or whatever) and you will be saved.'  It is as if at the train station you see someone who wishes to go to New York.  However, you notice that he is boarding the train to Albany.  Would you tell him, 'This train is very nice and comfortable; you will enjoy the ride'?'  If you knew he was on the wrong train and going in the wrong direction, in no way can you call this charity.  You are deceiving him.  If the man found out you were aware of his mistake, he would be mad at you.  You have to tell him:  'I'm sorry; the train may be nice, but if you want to go to New York, you must take the other train."  Bishop Bernard Fellay, February 17, 2008. His Holiness, our Pope's catechesis is very nice--sincerely.  However that which is lacking is a crystal clear teaching on what the Church has always taught, and a clear teaching of Luther's error.  Of course, in my opinion only.  __________________ Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Clare Registered: July 22, 2007 Posts: 817	Posted Nov 20, 2008 at 05:19 PM  #7  Faith without works is dead. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Those two statements cover it, I think. __________________ Ignis Ardens Traditional Catholic Forum Ignis Ardens Blog
Gabriel The Queen's Angel Registered: Feb 25, 2008 Posts: 1,160	Posted Nov 20, 2008 at 07:05 PM  #8  Philomena asked a good question. Let me begin by saying that I will only address the issue on justification, and then only in it's most essential aspect. However, all the differences between the teaching of the Catholic Church and Luther's doctrine grow out of this. Luther taught that God reveals his will to man along two dialectically opposed lines, that of the Law, and that of the Gospel. The Law demands perfect righteousness and holiness from man, and condemns man for every transgression, both external and internal. The Law requires that man love God with all his heart, etc. and his neighbor as himself, but furnishes no help to the accomplishment of this end, and as we noted, condemns man for every transgression. How can one love such a God? One can only hate him! Hence man is lost and condemned by the Law. But there is another word of God besides the Law and apart from it; the Gospel which announces Christ who alone has fulfilled the Law for man the transgressor and paid by his suffering and death the full penalty for man's guilt. Now since there is nothing man can do to save himself by fulfillment of the Law, and the Gospel demands nothing but gives all by way of a promise fulfilled in Christ, only faith is needed - belief that this message of the Gospel is true and reposing full confidence in it. Further, even this faith is a pure gift, wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit as the Gospel message is heard by the poor sinner. This is Luther's doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone. The Catholic Church never placed the Law and the Gospel in any kind of dialectical opposition. God indeed demands our fidelity and love, but he first calls us to remember that "I am the LORD who brought you out of bondage, etc. Similarly, in the New Testament, we have been redeemed by Christ the true Paschal Lamb and brought forth from the spiritual Egypt of slavery to Satan, sin and death, in order that we might be his own special people, showing forth his praise by the keeping of his commandments. We are not justified by the keeping of the commandments, strictly speaking, but by being incorporated into Jesus Christ sacramentally within the unity of his mystical body the Church. (extra ecclesiam nulla salus). We live in the Church learning and fulfilling Christ's commandments, growing in the divine life which has been generously poured into our souls through Jesus Christ. This is the Catholic synthesis of Law and Gospel; of justification through faith which works by love. Note well, the dialectical view of Luther makes the Church as Teacher and Sacramental Agent unnecessary; it attacks the Church in it's very essence. This is why Luther was excommunicated, and why he went to to found an altogether different kind of church than history had ever known. Edited to add: If you analyze the Holy Father's statements you can clearly see that he is upholding the Catholic synthesis: The formula that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (the very words of Saint Paul) is true as long as faith is not separated from love. Pope Benedict was firmly correcting Luther's error. Thus I have trouble with the negative response of some posters to what he said.