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<h1 id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42386">German bishops praise Luther as 'teacher of the faith'</h1>
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<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42407">August 12, 2016</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42408">The German Catholic bishops' conference has issued a report praising Martin Luther as a "teacher of the faith."</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42409"><em id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42410">The Reformation in Ecumenical Perspective</em>, a document of
over 200 pages, argues that the Protestant Reformation was too often
seen by Catholics "in a negative, derogatory light." The report-- issued
by Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg, the chairman of the German
bishops' ecumenical commission-- praised Luther for his "concern for
renewal in repentance and conversion."</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42411">The document went on to welcome closer ties between Catholics and
Protestants, pointing especially to a joint Catholic-Lutheran statement
issued in 1980 and a later 1999 statement on the question of
justification. While doctrinal differences remain, the report says, they
should "no longer have a Church-dividing effect."</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42412">References:</div>
<ul id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42413"><li id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42414"><a id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42415" href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/08/12/martin-luther-was-a-teacher-of-the-faith-say-german-bishops/" target="top">Martin Luther was a ‘teacher of the faith’, say German bishops (<i id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42416">Catholic Herald</i>)</a></li></ul>
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<td id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42426">Comment: 500 chr. max</td>
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</div><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42455"><em id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42456">Posted by: Art Kelly -
Today 12:58 AM ET USA
</em></span>
<li id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42454"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42457">The German bishops said differences between
Catholics and Lutherans should “no longer have a church-dividing
effect.” Really? I cannot think of many similarities between
Catholicism and Lutheranism. Certainly not sacraments! Certainly not the
primacy of the pope! It's nice that we have dialog, but that has not
produced any agreement on important doctrines. Even on justification,
there are major differences. Lutherans today do not believe in the
Sacrament of Confession.</div>
</li><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42233"> </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42239" class="signature"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42238"><strong id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42237"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42236" color="#0000ff" size="3"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42235"><font color="#007f40" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><strong><em>Art Kelly</em></strong></font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471138524296_42241"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;COLOR:#006600;FONT-SIZE:12pt;"><font size="2"><strong>Turris Fortis Mihi Deus</strong></font></span></div></font></strong></div></div></div></body></html>