Pope Notes a Catholic-Lutheran "Togetherness"

[Catholic_Press]

Benedict XVI says that what has already been achieved between Catholics and Lutherans on the path to unity reinforces trust that the dialogue will continue.

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[John_Carlton]

While I am glad to hear that relations between the Church and the Lutherans are improving, I am curious. What, I wonder, would unity, or togetherness look like? Would it entail the Lutherans coming back to the Church, or the Church making more concessions abroad? Not that I am saying all the concessions made are bad, but I am aware there is a great amount of tension concerning ecumenism…

 

[baylee]

While I am glad to hear that relations between the Church and the Lutherans are improving, I am curious. What, I wonder, would unity, or togetherness look like? Would it entail the Lutherans coming back to the Church, or the Church making more concessions abroad? Not that I am saying all the concessions made are bad, but I am aware there is a great amount of tension concerning ecumenism…

I just read that article and I have no idea what it means. I’m really not sure how we can be in “communion” as long as Lutherans continue to deny the Catholic Church as Christ’s Church.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

While I am glad to hear that relations between the Church and the Lutherans are improving, I am curious. What, I wonder, would unity, or togetherness look like? Would it entail the Lutherans coming back to the Church, or the Church making more concessions abroad? Not that I am saying all the concessions made are bad, but I am aware there is a great amount of tension concerning ecumenism…

The Church will only make concessions on non-Dogma e.g. clerical celibacy

 

[laszlo]

Benedict XVI says that what has already been achieved between Catholics and Lutherans on the path to unity reinforces trust that the dialogue will continue.

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I believe the essence of the speech is this:

“Part of this purification of the conscience,” the Pontiff suggested, is a common review of the 1,500 years that preceded the Protestant Reformation, the years “which are common to us.”

The ecumenism means humility: accepting that God is the Judge, not us; God decides who gets into His Kingdom, not us.

We shall understand that we are partial, imperfect, we can not posses the Truth, only part of it, and consequently the protestants may have and actually posses some truth, which is missing from our faith. We shall be open for this, on the same way as they shall be open for the part of the truth what we posses.

 

[Aramis]

While I am glad to hear that relations between the Church and the Lutherans are improving, I am curious. What, I wonder, would unity, or togetherness look like? Would it entail the Lutherans coming back to the Church, or the Church making more concessions abroad? Not that I am saying all the concessions made are bad, but I am aware there is a great amount of tension concerning ecumenism…

I know of at least one Lutheran parish that would,if they could have kept their distinctive liturgical praxis, gladly have come over in 1983! They want to be Lutheran in praxis and expression, but Catholic in dogma and unity.

I suspect Lutheran Unity will follow the same mode as Anglican: minimal changes to the liturgy, retention of the distinctive calendar, and an ordinariate being established.

 

[baylee]

I
We shall understand that we are partial, imperfect,** we can not posses the Truth, only part of it,** and consequently the protestants may have and actually posses some truth, which is missing from our faith. We shall be open for this, on the same way as they shall be open for the part of the truth what we posses.

Actually, the Church teaches that the Catholic Church is the fullness of the Truth, so we don’t possess partial truth.

 

[laszlo]

Actually, the Church teaches that the Catholic Church is the fullness of the Truth, so we don’t possess partial truth.

As only God is Good, also only God is the Truth. We all, including the Church Militany are partial, particular, limited.

The Church is not Absolute, and as the proverb teaches: ‘Even the good priest is learning until his death’, so the Church can learn from others about God.

 

[baylee]

As only God is Good, also only God is the Truth. We all, including the Church Militany are partial, particular, limited.

The Church is not Absolute, and as the proverb teaches: ‘Even the good priest is learning until his death’, so the Church can learn from others about God.

I see where you are going with this, but God has given us the fullness of the Truth in the Catholic Church. Now, our individual understanding of it may be partial, but we (the Church) are in full possession of it.

 

[laszlo]

I see where you are going with this, but God has given us the fullness of the Truth in the Catholic Church. Now, our individual understanding of it may be partial, but we (the Church) are in full possession of it.

Do you really think that the Church as is comprehends the Trinity, the Incarnation, or has knowledge about the unrevealed Last things?

May be you understand in this way. It is part of the truth what is the final fate of X or Y famous men or women?. What knowledge the Militant Church has about this part of the full truth?

Note: not only the Triumphant Church but also every member of that Church has this later knowledge; but the former (mystery of Trinity or Incarnation) is still leaves uncovered aspects: we are simply not capable to comprehend the full.