Shocking things everyone should know about Luther

[MDK]

Certainly a well reasoned assessment from a Catholic perspective. Since I’m not going to partake in the tiring action of apologetic discussion, one interesting thread pertaining to Luther was entitled, Sin Boldly, which is a statement usually used to slander Luther and thus his theological viewpoints.

Thank you. Since the Catholic position is from God, then I’m all in. I don’t mind if you don’t desire to defend Lutheranism, whether just now or even ever. I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in asking you to honestly and sincerely consider and think… I would ask if this religion is serving you, as much as you are serving it? Since God didn’t create the Lutheran religion, as it’s even named after a man who is not also God, how can it really and authentically lead you to the fullness of God’s revealed truth and His Sacraments? In all honesty, one cannot say that I have slandered Luther, or anyone here. If nothing more than the simple reasons that when what one writes is accurate, then it can’t be considered slanderous; and that the supporters of Luther don’t like it, neither does this make the unflattering truth slanderous.

I have no beef with you personally, but quite the opposite. I have a big concern with false faith systems misleading people who sincerely love God. When a religion split off from the original, how can we honor what Christ asked, that we all be one as He and the Father are One?

 

[jean8]

Lutheran pastor,
How are you? Unfortunately, you seem not to have a very good read on Luther. He was an extreme heretic and one of the fathers of what we have now in the problem of moral relativism… everyone having decided what their own morality is. It’s sad also that you would side with one who like those who rejected their Messiah, rejected seven books of the OT.

In the OT, there was the High priest, the ministerial priests, and the common priesthood. The OT is the New concealed, and the New is the Old revealed. The New Covenant Church has the High Priest in Jesus, the ministerial priesthood, and the common priesthood.

In truth, you are not a ministerial priest in God’s New Covenant Church. The Lutheran ecclesial community cannot be called a “church” in the proper sense. You can validly marry others and baptize… but, so can a Justice of the Peace. Contrast this with the ministerial priesthood of Christ which has seven valid and licit Sacraments. It’s very sad that people still follow what is a scandalous and intolerable rejection of what Christ established, in favor of earthly doctrines more easy for the mind of man to easily grasp, rather than keeping what Heavenly things are revealed by Christ, but are not as easily understood. What Luther did, and Lutheran pastors continue to do is to take wine that Christ made and make it into water.

Please wake up, for your own sake, and the sakes of the unfortunate people who are misguided by actually listening to the distortions of God’s word started by Luther and continued by those who prefer man’s teachings to God’s.

I pray for you, as I do for all those unfortunate enough not to be in God’s one true Church. We must all be one as He and the Father are One. The division started by Luther, and continued to this day by his followers (not truly Christ’s followers), is scandalous and intolerable. We must heal this rift, but the only way is through the truth. This means Lutherans need to stop rejecting the truth. The most Charitable thing we can do is to keep speaking the truth, even if it is a bit unpleasant to those on the wrong side of it. It is not easy for me, but defending what God taught is important enough to go through this.

God bless.

MDK,
As Pilate said, “What is truth”?
It bothers me a great deal when people say " we have the truth, we are saved , you are not."
The Lord has filled each of us with his Holy Spirit. We are being sanctified daily. The Bible clearly teaches, 'do not judge others…"
There are other denominations that teach they have the truth, if you don’t accept their beliefs we are not saved. My opinion is, anyone who loves the Lord and is born again, (Jn.3:16-18) is saved. As I have said many times, it’s a sin to judge your christian brother. Mt.7:1-5
Churches do not save, Jesus Christ saved us by his perfect sacrifice that God the Father sent him to do for us. See Rom.5;8-9
I’m preaching to the choir again.

God bless you,
jean

I believe that you are saved. I also believe that I am saved too.

 

[MDK]

MDK,
As Pilate said, “What is truth”?
It bothers me a great deal when people say " we have the truth, we are saved , you are not."
The Lord has filled each of us with his Holy Spirit. We are being sanctified daily. The Bible clearly teaches, 'do not judge others…"
There are other denominations that teach they have the truth, if you don’t accept their beliefs we are not saved. My opinion is, anyone who loves the Lord and is born again, (Jn.3:16-18) is saved. As I have said many times, it’s a sin to judge your christian brother. Mt.7:1-5
Churches do not save, Jesus Christ saved us by his perfect sacrifice that God the Father sent him to do for us. See Rom.5;8-9
I’m preaching to the choir again.

God bless you,
jean

I believe that you are saved. I also believe that I am saved too.

Hello Jean,

Yes, it bothers me too when someone says “we have the truth, we are saved, and you are not.” I don’t see you claiming that, and neither am I, so who are you speaking about? It also begs the question, who is it that you’re concerned is judging others? I don’t believe you desire to do this, and I am not, because it’s not my job, but is God’s Divine Right.

Neither you nor I is absolutely assured of Heaven right now. What I’m concerned about is that whomever taught you these things has misled you. That’s not right, and you seem sincere in your beliefs. You have a right to go to God and see Him for Who He Is. We were saved by God’s grace, we are being saved by God’s grace, and we will be saved by God’s grace. We never hear that our salvation is completely assured, but that we are working out our salvation with fear and trembling.

In short, what I’m telling you and everyone who desires to listen, is that God built His Church. Scriptures attest to it being one Church and not churches. He told us about this Church. In addition, the Apostles who ordained other Bishops kept the Church going, and will continue to the end of time. The Church taught for about 20 years before the first Scripture text was even written. What was written is the same things as they were teaching with the protection of the Holy Spirit. These were the men Christ sent to continue His mission. Christ also said the he (or she) who hears them, also hears Christ. This means Christ protects their teachings, otherwise we would not be hearing Christ, but these men only. All the Apostles were in one and the same faith system, or Church with the mission to preach to the ends of the Earth. So, it’s mission is to be universal. This Church wrote the Scriptures and they were assembled into the Bible about 3 1/2 centuries after the Church was born. Christ also said that His Church has a rock, who is the head Bishop. This same Church still exists, in which Christ is the High Priest and Perfect Sacrifice. There is the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood. Christ is the Head of His Church which is His Mystical Body. The Church has the fullness of revealed truth and the true Sacraments because of God’s presence and protection. We enter this Church when we are born again, coming into His Church by Baptism of water and the Spirit. The merits of Christ’s death on the cross are applied to our lives in our time by the incomparable gift of Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist. Everything about the Church points to Christ, the Head of the Church, and King with His Church as the earthly Kingdom. While the King is on His Throne, He appointed a “Prime Minister” to guard this pearl of great price, who is only able to do this with the protection of the Holy Spirit.

This is not to say that no truth exists elsewhere, and no truth is to be found outside of His Church. Other faithful people have some truth varying in degrees by faith system and individual. They have the possibility of getting to Heaven even if never setting foot in a Catholic Church. This is no reason to reject His Church. In Christ’s one true Church, the fullness of revealed truth exists, taught without error, and the valid and licit Sacraments exist. So, the greatest tools for salvation exist in God’s one Church. I believe this serves the faithful better than any other church can possibly do. Since other churches teach varying degrees of accuracy and error, without any real means of differentiating for sure, then how can one really be served by this faith system? How do you know that what you have been taught to believe about Christ is without error? I know, because I follow what Christ established to keep His teachings inerrant. I want everyone who loves Christ to know and avail themselves of the absolute beauty of God’s one Church. We haven’t merited this, but instead Christ gives it to us to know and love Him better and to truly walk with Him. This is why we must have the proper faith system, the true Church. This is what God established, and thanks be to God!

I hope we both make it to Heaven, but there is no way of claiming that crown for granted, as though we absolutely are sure at this time. We know that He is our Merciful Savior, but we don’t want to put ourselves in God’s place of just judge. In God’s Church, He has given us the greatest means of salvation available on the Earth. He intended this Church for all of His New Covenant family. By believing in Christ, that is having faith in, lovingly being committed to Him, and obeying Him, I have a reasonable assurance of salvation as long as I persevere in His friendship, and desiring never to be separated from Him, I’m working out my salvation with fear and trembling.

 

[motstraumen]

As much as it pains adherents to improper “churches” which teach false doctrines, the Catholics who have done research into Luther and the “reformers” know well the truth, that Luther was a heretic, a massive heretic.

For instance, a heretic is one who is Baptized and who after being corrected with the true teaching, refuses to accept the truth, but remains in their error.

Typical Protestant heretical doctrines include:
Sola Scriptura - is heretical.
Sola Fide - is heretical.
Once Saved, Always Saved - is heretical.
Right of Private Interpretation of Scriptures - is heretical.

These ruin people’s faiths in the truth, and make them blind to what Christ actually taught. It is ignorance of truth, no matter how well intentioned one may be. As a consequence of following Luther, those adherents to Lutheranism (which was not built by God, but by man), have no ministerial priesthood, lack five of the valid and licit Sacraments including having no valid Eucharist, have taken our Scriptures out of their proper context, and distort the teachings based on the Bible alone and everyone is their own final interpreter. Lutherans really have no possible way of knowing if what they’re saying about faith and morals is indeed without error or is full of error.

Is is presumptuous to say that I call all adherents to Lutheranism heretics. Some may have not been told the truth about faith and morals. Some may be invincibly ignorant and therefore can’t be taught the true faith, for instance possibly due to some hard prejudice they were taught which clouds their ability to be open to the truth taught by Christ. I see many as fairly innocent victims of the false teachings of Luther. All the “reformers” were false teachers, and whose teachings are still victimizing those who may honestly love Christ.

My goodness MDK, the invective that you spout is amazing. With your tactics you should be in charge of the Office of Faith and Doctrine and dubbed the Rottweiler, but really the type that befits you better is the Chihuahua, a lot of yapping to get attention but no substance. With you ticking off stance-heresy I could say to you from the Orthodox point of view filioque-heresy, and guess what you’re in a “improper” church. You are a laughing stock for you faith. I pity you. No need to respond, you yap too much and I just don’t have time. Thanks, Humble in Doubt for responding to this guy. Oh, BTW, MDK…God Bless and may he open your heart to the real presence of Christ’s love!

 

[motstraumen]

I have a reasonable assurance of salvation as long as I persevere in His friendship, and desiring never to be separated from Him, I’m working out my salvation with fear and trembling.

Mea Culpa, but I couldn’t let the last sentence alone, God is working out your salvation, not you. You cannot save yourself. Even your Roman Sect asserts that!

 

[MDK]

MDK;5235141:

…I have a reasonable assurance of salvation as long as I persevere in His friendship, and desiring never to be separated from Him, I’m working out my salvation with fear and trembling.

Mea Culpa, but I couldn’t let the last sentence alone, God is working out your salvation, not you. You cannot save yourself. Even your Roman Sect asserts that!

Thank you for providing this example of why people should not listen to a Lutheran pastor who does not understand what God taught. If you don’t understand what Paul wrote, then you won’t understand me either. Obviously, Paul is not teaching it’s something you do without God, and neither am I. However, we must respond to God, doing as God asked.

Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.”

So, it’s pretty obvious who it is that is following God’s teachings, and teaching correctly. Is it not? This is why any fairly well informed Catholic is much more in tune with God’s true teachings than anyone of the man made “church” pastors, who even though may be well-meaning, unfortunately all distort God’s teachings to a greater or lesser extent.

All salvation is related to Baptism and the Eucharist, and of course comes from God. God’s death on the cross was for all people. However, not all people are saved. What must we do to accept His Salvation and participate so that we do what He asked us to do? We are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith working in love.

So, it should be no surprise to say that I can’t imagine a more off-base interpretation of what I wrote. If you can’t interpret me correctly, why should anyone believe you can successfully interpret the written word of God? It is ignorant to say that I differ with God’s established authority. Perhaps simply a case of personal projection that you have applied here?

Another glaring error of yours is calling something simply a Roman sect. This is the Church God made for all of us, including you and me.

 

[MDK]

My goodness MDK, the invective that you spout is amazing. With your tactics you should be in charge of the Office of Faith and Doctrine and dubbed the Rottweiler, but really the type that befits you better is the Chihuahua, a lot of yapping to get attention but no substance. With you ticking off stance-heresy I could say to you from the Orthodox point of view filioque-heresy, and guess what you’re in a “improper” church. You are a laughing stock for you faith. I pity you. No need to respond, you yap too much and I just don’t have time. Thanks, Humble in Doubt for responding to this guy. Oh, BTW, MDK…God Bless and may he open your heart to the real presence of Christ’s love!

Yes, it is unfortunately your goodness that you have tended to rely on when misinterpreting God’s word.

Anyone who understands Scripture would see the parallel to what I have written, which is correct understanding of Scripture. So, it is a little test, such that those will show themselves not to know Scriptures when they criticize what I wrote, which is what God’s Church teaches.

Another indication of those who don’t understand Scriptures is that they will quote incessantly, and provide their own distorted meanings attributed to Scriptures, which is exactly what the Bible-alone crowd unfortunately does. In this way, they will never really know the truth without error, with any certainty at all, except the pride of claiming they know.

Hypocritical behavior? First, if you really believe in sola scriptura and right of private interpretation, then nobody can be a heretic, because they all have the individual right,with no authority to decide other than each disagreeing with each other. So, it’s unfortunately hypocritical for one who subscribes to sola scriptura to call anyone a heretic.

Historical and Thoelogical errors. The Catholic teaching in the filioque was no different than it was ever taught. However, this was further defined to prevent others from distorting the truth. Some said the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son. This is exactly the meaning of the Catholic Church’s teachings both before and after it was further formally defined. If you’re going to criticize the God’s Church, please at least get the facts straight. Yet, if you did that, there would be no need for criticism. The flap was more about hurt feelings and who was and was not consulted.

Yes, you side with people who deny God as your partner in “truth”? How telling. Errors from both of you have been exposed. Are you humble enough to admit it? It would be a start in using whatever truth you do have to come to the fullness of revealed truth only found in God’s Catholic Church with the office of Peter at the visible head.

You would be wise to listen to what is taught by God’s Church, and not let personal pride keep you from a more full life and more authentic relationship with Christ.

 

[JonNC]

=motstraumen;5236067]
Even your Roman Sect asserts that!

You know, I bristle when Lutheranism is called a sect, and I would expect our Catholic sublings to bristle at this charge as well, as the use of this term “sect” in this type of forum tends to be pajorative. It does nothing to foster good relations or positive dialogue, which the leaders of Lutheranism and Rome have been trying to do since Vatican II.
I personally to not view the Church headed by the Bishop of Rome in this way.
Jon

 

[MDK]

… Oh, BTW, MDK…God Bless and may he open your heart to the real presence of Christ’s love!

Thanks for the prayer. This is something I humbly and continually pray for, and He as generously answered with a yes. I pray for this also before receiving Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, where He is really, truly and substantially present to us. I ask Him to heal whatever I need when with expectant faith I receive His Flesh and Blood in the Eucharist, in the same way that hemorrhaging woman with expectant faith who even just touched His garment was healed. How much better that He touches us in a substantial way. We must answer yes to God as well, just as the sinless Mother of God did, as she is God’s greatest creation, and one who always wants nothing more than to point the way to her Divine Son. When I look at Mary for instance, I see the greatest love of Christ from any of God’s creation. We would do well to emulate her in this.

When I see the Most Blessed Sacrament in God’s Church, I see Christ who gave His Body and Blood for us, ready to give His immeasurable love to us. I thank God for the ministerial priesthood who through Apostolic Succession, is able to participate with God in His command to do this in memory of Him, as we must eat His Body and drink His Blood, else we have no life in us.

Thank God for His Church. The Catholic Church is really the thing that keeps a man from becoming a child of his generation.

 

[humble_in_doubt]

:knight1::knight2:

 

[motstraumen]

Thanks for the prayer. This is something I humbly and continually pray for, and He as generously answered with a yes. I pray for this also before receiving Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, where He is really, truly and substantially present to us. I ask Him to heal whatever I need when with expectant faith I receive His Flesh and Blood in the Eucharist, in the same way that hemorrhaging woman with expectant faith who even just touched His garment was healed. How much better that He touches us in a substantial way. We must answer yes to God as well, just as the sinless Mother of God did, as she is God’s greatest creation, and one who always wants nothing more than to point the way to her Divine Son. When I look at Mary for instance, I see the greatest love of Christ from any of God’s creation. We would do well to emulate her in this.

When I see the Most Blessed Sacrament in God’s Church, I see Christ who gave His Body and Blood for us, ready to give His immeasurable love to us. I thank God for the ministerial priesthood who through Apostolic Succession, is able to participate with God in His command to do this in memory of Him, as we must eat His Body and drink His Blood, else we have no life in us.

Thank God for His Church. The Catholic Church is really the thing that keeps a man from becoming a child of his generation.

I am glad that through the Apostolic restoration of the word brought to us by the reformer, Martin Luther, that we now have the true ministerial priesthood and through faith we substantially receive the goodness of God by grace in our sacraments. Thank God for his Church The Evangelical Catholic Lutheran Church that restored his blessed word to not only the clergy (who at that time were so woefully ignorant) but also to the laity. When you had so many popes truely heretical and neglecting the faith of their flock you lost any semblence of succession, real or made up.

 

[JonNC]

Originally Posted by MDK
I thank God for the ministerial priesthood who through Apostolic Succession, is able to participate with God in His command to do this in memory of Him, as we must eat His Body and drink His Blood, else we have no life in us.

I am glad that through the Apostolic restoration of the word brought to us by the reformer, Martin Luther, that we now have the true ministerial priesthood and through faith we substantially receive the goodness of God by grace in our sacraments. Thank God for his Church The Evangelical Catholic Lutheran Church that restored his blessed word to not only the clergy (who at that time were so woefully ignorant) but also to the laity. .

And I pray that The Holy Spirit moves through both of our communions the understanding necessary to bring us to the unity that Christ calls for.

Jon

 

[MDK]

I am glad that through the Apostolic restoration of the word brought to us by the reformer, Martin Luther, that we now have the true ministerial priesthood and through faith we substantially receive the goodness of God by grace in our sacraments. Thank God for his Church The Evangelical Catholic Lutheran Church that restored his blessed word to not only the clergy (who at that time were so woefully ignorant) but also to the laity. When you had so many popes truely heretical and neglecting the faith of their flock you lost any semblence of succession, real or made up.

Wow. Denial… not a river in Egypt. You can believe anything you want to, but how does it compare to reality? I don’t like that you mislead others, and so must show how the truth compares to what you errantly post.

Martin Luther broke Apostolic succession… this is plain history without the revisionist’s editing.

As a result, The Lutheran church does not enjoy Apostolic Succession. Luther did not have validly ordained Bishops with him. With the loss of Apostolic Succession, there is a loss of ministerial priesthood. This means that there are only two valid Sacraments, as five cannot be valid without valid ministerial priesthood. This also means that the Lutheran church, no matter what it says, cannot make you a valid ministerial priest. It simply does not have that authority given from God. To say otherwise is sadly nothing more than a man made claim, which is opposed to reality.

You can call yourself anything you want, a bus for instance. Lack of the necessary prerequisites of a bus would start discerning people wondering. On close enough examination, they would determine you were not a bus. How do these people know this? First, they must know what a bus is. Those who do not know what a bus is will never be able to tell you one way or the other.

The Catholic Church teaches the same as the Apostles, with the protection of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who can’t recognize that wouldn’t know what a true bus is…, or rather in this case, the one true Church that God built.

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. You’ve already shown where you fall in that equation. Please, for your own sake, have the humility to admit the truth. Please also stop misleading others. Please, for God’s sake.

 

[MDK]

And I pray that The Holy Spirit moves through both of our communions the understanding necessary to bring us to the unity that Christ calls for.

Jon

Amen. This is exactly what I desire!

Any effort, though of false ecumenism will inevitably fail. We can only be guided by the Truth, which should be the thing that unites us.

 

[JonNC]

Amen. This is exactly what I desire!

Any effort, though of false ecumenism will inevitably fail. We can only be guided by the Truth, which should be the thing that unites us.

Agreed, and here is what is being said between our two communions about our ministries. The tone sounds so much more appealing than what I sometimes read here from both sides, but it is not false ecumenism. Really, it is very good reading, so this isn’t the first time I’ve posted it.

usccb.org/seia/koinonia.shtml

Jon

 

[MDK]

Agreed, and here is what is being said between our two communions about our ministries. The tone sounds so much more appealing than what I sometimes read here from both sides, but it is not false ecumenism. Really, it is very good reading, so this isn’t the first time I’ve posted it.

usccb.org/seia/koinonia.shtml

Jon

Dear Jon,

Do you honestly think I’ve never read this before? Honestly!

Not shying away from the reality of this, we’re not going to distort Catholicism to make Lutherans feel better or somehow feel at home with the false doctrines made by Luther (and further down the line). In reality, that is not going to happen, because it can’t. It would be a grave disservice to the Lutherans as well as all Catholics. In truth, Lutherans are the ones who sadly split from the Church, distorted their faith, and so need to come back home, where they belong as people who desire to love God. However, if you really think there are not efforts of false ecumenism going on, please reconsider this assessment. In the end, false ecumenism won’t fly, but there are some who would do anything for this sake, even sacrifice truth.

One must have proper perspective on these. The joint statements too are simply what we both can agree on, and not the fullness of truth. The Church has really stretched out a hand to bring Lutherans back. We hope you can use it to come to the fullness of truth. There is only so far we can go, though, in defining these possibilities. We have bent over backward, but the limit of accepting false doctrine won’t be breached. For your sake, Luther’s doctrines must be fixed and made appropriate. Don’t take it for more than it is. I would be lying to you if I told you that you can come as you are in regard to current beliefs and faith model, and priesthood, etc. I do think many Lutherans want to come back home, and many Catholics want them back, me being one of them. However, these all must become Catholic, as God intended. If there was another, easier way which is acceptable to God, I would welcome it, but there is no other legitimate way. There is no quick fix, and no bending of the rules. Luther wasn’t wrong in everything, but wrong enough in key doctrine to leave a poor legacy, and a lot of work for you who want to come back into the fold.

 

[MDK]

I am glad that through the Apostolic restoration of the word brought to us by the reformer, Martin Luther, that we now have the true ministerial priesthood and through faith we substantially receive the goodness of God by grace in our sacraments. Thank God for his Church The Evangelical Catholic Lutheran Church that restored his blessed word to not only the clergy (who at that time were so woefully ignorant) but also to the laity. When you had so many popes truely heretical and neglecting the faith of their flock you lost any semblence of succession, real or made up.

God has taught something quite different than you preach. We’ve established that already, but you for some reason continue to bear false witness against God’s Church, His Bride.

There were certainly problems with the clergy at that time, but none related to doctrines. There was never a problem with official Church teaching. It was bad personal behaviors. Nevertheless, you can’t lose Apostolic Succession through bad personal behaviors. Martin Luther didn’t have any validly ordained Bishops. So, your account is sadly a delusional (wish I had a nicer word, but this is what really represents reality) tale that is hard for me to believe anyone would actually believe it. Luther changed the doctrines that were sound and from God, in order to accommodate personal behaviors as he desired. You also mock God when you say His Church lost it’s place, because this is the Church God built and said the gates of Hell would never prevail, due to His protection. Why you say the gates of hell prevailed against His Church, is beyond me, and something I don’t recommend anyone say. It is divorced from reality, and it is a disregard for Christ. Please do refrain from mocking God. It won’t go unopposed.

 

[twohumble]

Shocking development out of Rome and the Vatican related to Martin Luther!!

Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices. According to Vatican insiders the Pope will argue that Luther, who was excommunicated and condemned for heresy, was not a heretic.

Interesting bit of news coming from Rome given this thread.

 

[MDK]

Shocking development out of Rome and the Vatican related to Martin Luther!!

Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices. According to Vatican insiders the Pope will argue that Luther, who was excommunicated and condemned for heresy, was not a heretic.

Interesting bit of news coming from Rome given this thread.

News? This is simply irresponsible and groundless speculation by some in the press.

Please see Vatican spokesman calls rumors of rehabilitation of Luther groundless.

“The story “does not have any foundation, insofar as no rehabilitation of Luther is foreseen,” Father Lombardi told the Italian news agency.”

 

[humble_in_doubt]

Shocking development out of Rome and the Vatican related to Martin Luther!!

Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices. According to Vatican insiders the Pope will argue that Luther, who was excommunicated and condemned for heresy, was not a heretic.

Interesting bit of news coming from Rome given this thread.

apparently Catholic News Service does refute this report – yet they did (or are set to) rehabilitate a Holocaust denier? Ummm … kind-a-strange ay?