Martin Luther And The Reformation

Matthew Fox speaks at American Catholic Council gathering

The American Catholic Council was organized by progressive Catholics to implement Second Vatican Council reforms. Its agenda for the weekend – reclaiming the Spirit, vision, freedom and joy of the People of God – grew out of 100 Listening Assemblies involving 5,000 Catholics from across the United States.

Speaking on the eve of Pentecost, Fox highlighted a theology of Christian vocation as inspired by the Holy Spirit. “Every Christian’s vocation is to be a mystic and a prophet who falls in love with life and beauty, cherishes friendship, the Earth and those different from themselves.”

“Looking down the river of our own life, there have been turns and detours and times when we have reinvented ourselves and taken another direction.” But that is because the Holy Spirit has a lot of surprises in store and loves to go to work when there is chaos,” he laughed, quoting his mentor and teacher the late Father C.M. Chenu.

One major reinvention of Catholics, Fox said, has been the American Catholic Council. “Your biggest mistake would be to underestimate the importance of this conference.” He named it “prophetic and is spot on in doing what needs to be done -- to speak truth to power.”

Quoting the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fox urged the group to be mindful that “our life begins to end when we stop speaking about things that matter” – planetary devastation, social justice, the silence at the highest levels around clergy sexual abuse, married priests, women’s ordination, homophobia, and the preferential option for the poor.

Members of the American Catholic Council likewise held these matters close to their collective heart last weekend at Cobo Hall. On the ACC’s agenda was an endorsement by conference attendees of The Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, a manifesto drawn up by board members. They include primacy of conscience, women’s ordination, freedom of expression, universal ministry, the right to the sacraments, to meaningful participation in decision making including the selection of leaders, participation in the interpretation of the Gospel and church tradition, the right to convene and speak in assemblies where diverse voices can be heard, and to participate and promote social justice in the world at large and within the church structures.

Martin Luther And the Protestant Reformation - Catholic American ...

The 500th anniversary of the posting of the 95 theses on the Wittenberg Church door by Martin Luther will be coming up in 2017. The Catholic Times editorial discusses what was involved with the posting of the theses and clarifies the meaning of the word 'indulgence'--the "selling of indulgences" prompting Luther to post the theses and sparking the Protestant Reformation. Usually translated into Korean as "the forgiving of sin," indulgence is a word that is continually being misunderstood in the press, in history books and,too often, in many internet blogs. The bishops have clearly pointed out that 'indulgence,' a theological term, is being misused when it is understood as a means to forgive sin, as a quick sell and purchase of salvation--as some critics have viewed it--by the donation of money. The bishops have sent the mass media a list of Catholic terms, asking that they be used correctly, anticipating that many articles will be appearing in the daily press in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. And many of those articles will be discussing the "granting of indulgences," wrongfully understood even by Catholics at that time that sins could be forgiven on payment of money. In the history of the Church, one can always find those who have abused what the Church teaches for reasons of gain or out of ignorance. In an effort to collect money for different projects, many used indulgences as a means to collect money. That this was an abuse is clear; however, it  is not a reason to misunderstand or distort the meaning of this word, as understood by the Church. Indulgences do not forgive sin, whether by the use of money, prayer, good works, or by any other means; it forgives only the temporal punishment due to sin. (The sacramental forgiveness of sin must include confessing one's sins, usually verbally and usually to a duly ordained priest, sincere sorrow for having sinned, and a firm purpose of amendment.)  This will be difficult to  understand for those who have no sympathy for this process and for what temporal punishment for sin means or who don't care to know. The editorial was also concerned that this issue might damage the image of the Church by passing along information not warranted by the facts. The Church has never said that by giving money sins can be forgiven, and this has been the teaching well before the reformation.

Martin Luther and the Reformation

Martin Luther and the Reformation

Martin Luther and the Reformation, how the Lutheran church was started

Martin Luther, Father of the Reformation

Martin Luther and the Reformation, a lecture delivered at Bath Saloon, Torquay, during the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Luther's birth November 10th, 1483