​Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
Today I’ll continue our series on the different Christian denominations with some discussion on Lutheranism, one of the largest denominations within Protestantism.  There are approximately 66 million Lutherans throughout the world, 9.5 million of which are in the United States.  The Lutherans in the United States generally belong to one of three major groups known as synods: the largest being the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), followed by the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
 
As should be obvious, the name “Lutheran” comes from the primary instigator of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther.  Luther was a historically fascinating individual and I’d recommend reading about his life.  Raised in a peasant German family, Luther was blessed to receive an education in law.  However, after a promise made to St. Anne for seemingly sparing his life in a storm, he entered an Augustinian monastery and would eventually teach as a professor of Scripture.  As Luther was coming of age, the evils and corruption in the Church were probably at their worst in history.  Church offices were bought and sold to the highest bidders, and higher offices were largely occupied by the wealthy and aristocracy who could afford them.  Many parish clergy were not faithful to their promises of celibacy.  Monasteries became wealthy and lax in their observances.  To be fair, while there were certainly many devout Christians and great saints that lived during this period, it was a dark time in which the Church needed much purification.
 
As a young monk, Luther suffered from depression and probably a great deal of scrupulosity as well, which was probably not unusual for his time.  Both personally and theologically, he wrestled greatly with the question of how one knows he is saved.  It wasn’t until Luther came across the passage in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, “The just man lives by faith,” that his mind was put at rest.  It would be this notion of justification by faith that would serve as his interpretive tool for the whole of the Scriptures.
 
Following Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, debating the selling of indulgences (another corrupt practice in the Church at the time), he adopted other positions against the authority of the Pope, infallibility, and devotion to the saints.  Luther’s ideas became widely circulated due to the new invention of the printing press.  After he was convicted of heresy and considered an outlaw by the German emperor, he was given protection by Frederick the Wise, one of the German princes.  As Luther’s ideas caught on and spread, other reformers adopted more ideas and practices for “reform” with which even Luther was uncomfortable.  Many priests and religious abandoned their vows and married.  Luther himself married an ex-Cistercian nun and together they had six children.  Various German princes sided with Luther and parted company with the Catholic Church.  By doing so, they were able to seize the property of the Church in their territories.
 
While Luther developed no formal statement of faith for his followers, one of his colleagues, Melanchthon, developed the Augsburg Confession, which is still an authoritative statement of belief for Lutherans today.  Rather than intending to form another church, Luther hoped instead that the Church would’ve adopted his ideas for reform.  He was also saddened and frustrated to see moral standards sink even lower in communities following the Reformation than they had been in the Catholic Church prior to it.
 
As far as the major differences today between Catholics and Lutherans, there are the doctrines of which I spoke last time underlying Protestant theology: Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura.  Lutherans also only hold that there are two sacraments: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper (-- their understanding of the Eucharist is also different from ours).  They also do not have the same approach to Mary and the saints, and they reject our teaching on Purgatory and indulgences.  There are also variations in teaching on morality and social issues between the various Lutheran synods.
 
While there are many differences between us, we can say that Lutherans are generally closest to us as Catholics in belief compared to other Protestant denominations.  The Lutheran service derives from the Catholic Mass, and so one would naturally experience many similarities in our worship.  Given the Catholic and Lutheran background of our communities (Hewitt, Auburndale, Blenker/Sherry), many of us have good friends, family members, and spouses that are Lutheran.  May we continue to learn more about our similarities and differences, and pray for full restoration of unity in the future.

​Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
Last time I touched on some of the similarities and differences between Catholics and Protestants.  As I stated, the major differences stem from two Protestant teachings: Sola Fidei (salvation by faith alone) and Sola Scriptura (the Bible alone is the sole rule of faith).  Last time I spoke about Sola Fidei.  Today, I’ll speak about Sola Scrptura.  When Martin Luther and other early Protestants parted company with the Catholic Church, they found themselves without an authoritative final word to settle disagreements on teaching and the Faith.  As some Protestant groups adopted conflicting beliefs on different issues.  Luther was unable to reconcile the belief that the Church was the reliable authority on the faith with the fact that there were members of the Church in positions of authority who were guilty of abuses and infidelity.  He therefore looked to the Bible as his authority.  The major difficulty with this position, however, was that biblical interpretation would be left entirely to the individual reader.  Without the Church’s last word on how the Scriptures should be understood, there would be many varying interpretations, and as a result, many different Protestant denominations.
 
Catholic belief is that, in spite of the human weaknesses and failures of its members/leaders, the Holy Spirit is always guiding and protecting the Church (as Christ promised) in its teaching on faith and morals, and that includes its interpretation of the Scriptures.  It’s also important for us as Catholics to understand that Christ didn’t necessarily write things down as he went along.  Early Christians (i.e., members of the early Church) recorded his words and actions in the decades that followed.  The early Church would compile what we know of today as the New Testament in fixed form over a long period of time.  The early Church had to rely largely on oral tradition, i.e. the preaching and teaching passed down from the apostles and their successors as their source of the true faith and authority.  There was no “Bible” for everyone to just pick up and read when they had a question.  The New Testament was produced, guided by the Holy Spirit, through the Church and her authority.  Therefore, the Church who maintained the teaching of the apostles and their successors was understood to be the proper interpreter of the Scriptures as they took shape.  Not only was the Church seen as the proper interpreter of the Scriptures, but it also made the discernment of what books were inspired by God and included in the biblical canon, among the vast amount of Christian and Gnostic-Christian literature in circulation at the time.
 
Many Catholics today often feel put to shame at their apparent lack of knowledge of the Bible in comparison to Protestants who can often cite specific passages and books.  Catholics are encouraged to read the Bible, and there is much we can learn from our Protestant brothers and sisters in this regard.  However, to be fair, Catholics who regularly attend Mass, and who read and pray with the Scriptures, often know the Scriptures better than they think – but in a different way.  While a Catholic may not do so well with citing exactly Scripture passage and verse, many are quite familiar with the major figures and stories.
 
One other difference between Protestants and Catholics is their understanding of the Church.  Catholics understand the Church to be instituted by Christ and to have a structure that is visible in the world, while Protestants see it as a fellowship of believers in Christ built upon God’s Word in the Scriptures.  Protestants also do not have the same understanding of the priesthood and priestly ordination.  Protestants also have beliefs on the Eucharist that vary greatly from the Catholic belief in “transubstantiation” – i.e., that the substance of the bread and wine is changed to become truly the Body and Blood of Christ.  And of course, most Protestants do not venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints in the same way as Catholics.  May we continue to pray for greater unity of belief among us.
 
 
 
 

​Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
Last time in my series on the denominations within Christianity I spoke about the Eastern Orthodox.  Before I move on to speak about the next major denomination (Lutherans), I would like to say a bit about Protestantism in general, under which fall Lutheranism and many other denominations .  The title “Protestant” refers to one who believes in Jesus Christ and is baptized, but does not accept all the teachings of the Catholic Church.  A Protestant community of Christians would trace their origins to the Reformation in the 1500s.
 
In 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and priest, spoke out in debate against the Church – initially on the selling of indulgences, one of several corrupt practices occurring in the Church at the time.  Luther and his followers, taking a different stance on many theological issues, obtained the political support of various princes of the German empire against the Catholic Church.  In 1526, the German imperial parliament issued a decision permitting each individual government/princedom to decide for itself to remain Catholic, or follow the teachings of Luther.  This decision was cancelled just a few years later in favor of the Catholic faith.  Followers of Luther and other reformers together “protested” against the decision.  Hence the name, “Protestant.”
 
While there are many differences between Catholic and Protestants, we hold many fundamental beliefs in common.  We are all Christians.  We believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.  We believe in the Holy Trinity, and we generally accept all the beliefs professed in the Nicene Creed that we say at Mass every Sunday.  We both celebrate the major feasts of Christmas and Easter, and we both believe in the importance of helping those in need and bringing about greater social justice.
 
The major differences between Catholics and Protestants stem from two Protestant teachings known as “Sola Fidei” (salvation by faith alone) and “Sola Scriptura” (the Bible alone is the sole rule of faith).  Pertaining to Sola Fidei, Luther believed that our human nature became totally corrupted as a result of original sin, while Catholic theology teaches that our human nature was only greatly weakened.  While this difference might seem small, it’s an important distinction.  Both Catholics and Protestants believe that our justification comes through Jesus Christ.  “Justification” refers to the forgiveness of our sins and the restoration of our right relationship with God. 
 
Luther and the early Protestants reasoned that since our human nature was totally corrupted due to original sin, our good works could do nothing to help us on the way to salvation.  Only faith would lead to our being justified in Christ.  Even though works of charity and celebrating the sacraments are good things, they, according to early Protestant theology, do not help us get to heaven; only faith.
 
However, it is not Catholic belief that we save ourselves by our good works.  Rather, we as Catholics understand that our justification by Christ renews and sanctifies us.  We are not totally corrupt, but by cooperating with God’s grace through faith and works, we are continually transformed.  Good works flow from our faith and can help us on the way to salvation.  Interestingly, back in 1999, through ecumenical dialogue, the Catholic Church and World Lutheran Federation made a joint declaration resolving their differing understandings of justification from the time of the Protestant Reformation.  Next time, I’ll say a bit about Sola Scriptura.