Vatican cardinal hopes for new joint declaration with Lutherans [CC]
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chero23
Guest
This would be great if roads can get connected with our Lutheran brothers. I think if God willing, God willing, we made significant inroads of unity with Orthodoxy and Lutherans I think it would send positive waves with other Christian faiths.
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FollowChrist34
Guest
I, too, would be delighted to see us move closer together. To me, it feels like old wounds healing - brings a sense of peace to the soul and strengthens the Body of Christ.
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chero23
Guest
I agree, and if you can bring unity with the Lutherans ffrom hence the Protestant Reformation, then I think those Churches who do want to have that untiy will follow. I know the Devil does not want that, but my faith is in God that it will happen and we will be united.
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ProVobis
Guest
I think ecumenism has already done that. I think salvation of our souls is more important than any joint declarations. Being Catholic or Lutheran doesn’t guarantee anything.
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chero23
Guest
I think it does matter. Because we have the whole truth. If someone calls himself Catholic then he does not have anything guaranteed.
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ProVobis
Guest
Are you presuming Lutherans will be abandoning their beliefs and fully submit to Catholic doctrine, something which many Catholics don’t even understand? I happen to know a few Catholics who have turned Lutheran for whatever reasons; I doubt if they would want to be reunited.
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chero23
Guest
So your saying that Catholicism is a bunch of lies?
Some Catholics don’t know their faith due to bad cathechism, others just want to ignore it. I think if we preach the Truth whcih we do, that is why we are having these dialogues to try to close the gaps.
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FollowChrist34
Guest
Lutherans and Catholics have a LOT of fundamental beliefs in common. Of course, there are very obvious differences too. (Luther knew his St. Augustine it goes without saying, as well as basically all of the other Fathers of the Church; this depth of historical formation in him is often downplayed in my view.) But in the main Christian doctrine we are very close. I believe this was the gist of the 1999 declaration, oversimplifying a bit. I have a lot of Protestant friends; I have also read a lot of great Protestant religious works. The Protestants are part of our Christian family. Families are always stronger together then when spatting with each other. I also think growing closer will in fact bring more Lutherans home. They are kind of in the same boat as the Anglicans (imho) - on the “front porch” of Catholicism I once heard someone say.
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Ignatius
Guest
What’s wrong with the current joint declaration that we signed with them only a few years ago?
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ProVobis
Guest
Of course not. But is even knowing the truth going to save any of us?
Ecumenism isn’t about unification or conversions or joint declarations. It is recognition that none of us are responsible for the actions of our parents going all the way back to the Reformation if not before. According to BrJR, heresy doesn’t necessarily make one a heretic. We should not regard anyone to be one, not knowing where he or she comes from. Respect is foremost. On both sides.
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chero23
Guest
I think being where the Truth is and following it, even as a Sinner, your chances of salvations is higher. I am not God, but I do bleieve if you follow the Church, the Sacraments love one another, help those in need, I believe then that you will be in good shape.
But it all begins with being where the whole truth is.
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FollowChrist34
Guest
Let’s not forget the social and cultural issues that are basically pushing us together; gay marriage, abortion, Affordable Health Care Act, etc. Protestant and Catholic Churches are both facing off with secularism - that is not going away anytime soon. These attacks against Christians are occurring all over the world. Domestic case in point - those pastors in Houston whose sermons were summoned. Many, many other examples of course. In some ways, the laity are instinctively drawing together and leading the leaders of the Churches …(now that is what I call a surprise from the Holy Spirit…
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ProVobis
Guest
Good question.
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boar2roar
Guest
Lets try and get the orthodox and orientals who are actually really close to us before we start talking of pipe dreams. The Lutherans aren’t joining us in any of our lifetimes, they are on a different road right now and continuing on it. The former just might.
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Stylteralmaldo
Guest
That’s easy. It’s not that there is anything wrong with the previous declaration, it’s that future declarations can bring us closer and closer together as Christians.
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ProVobis
Guest
By the principle of entropy and an expanding Christian and cultural base (we have over 30,000 Protestant denominations and several hundred vernaculars in Catholicism), is this even possible?
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Ad_Orientem
Guest
Its chief problems are outlined in the official Catholic response, which calls for further dialog and clarification.
One difficulty with “joint statements” in general is that they often use ambiguous language in an attempt to make its assertions acceptable to all parties, who nevertheless interpret those assertions in divergent ways. While I can appreciate the effort to find common ground, I think there is a danger in settling for tenuous, grammatical and superficial agreement.
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CrossofChrist
Guest
There is probably a desire to highlight some more similarities and differences besides justification, and to do so closer to the 500th year anniversary of Luther’s 95 Theses.
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FollowChrist34
Guest
Hey, if the divorced and remarried get to take communion, why not the Lutherans. I’ll start the campaign as soon as I get the all clear from Kasper. Just joking. Don’t pummel me… (or offer your time to help…) 
Just joking. Don’t pummel me… (or offer your time to help…) - Status