Vatican: Catholics can now recognize Martin Luther as a “Witness to the Gospel”

“No Rupture with the Past” Update

Vatican claims Catholics can now recognize Martin Luther as a “Witness to the Gospel”

You can file this one in your “You sedevacantists are just a bunch of Protestants!” stack:

The Masonic organization that currently occupies Vatican City and falsely calls itself the Catholic Church has released a document for its annual so-called “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” that claims that Catholics can now recognize the heretic Martin Luther as a “witness to the Gospel”.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is the Novus Ordo version of what used to be the Catholic “Chair of Unity Octave”. The Chair of Unity Octave was originally established by Pope St. Pius X in 1908. Every year, it begins on Jan. 18, the Feast of St. Peter’s Chair at Rome, and ends on Jan. 25, the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. Thus, one would expect the themes of conversion and unity by submission to the Pope to feature prominently during this week, as they do indeed in the Catholic octave but not, of course, in the Novus Ordo replacement. The Vatican II Church has long abandoned the true spirit of this week in the latter half of January and made it into an advertisement for its golden calf of ecumenism.

So too this year. In fact, this time around, the whole thing is on steroids because it is now 2017, the year which marks 500 years since the Protestant Reformation. On this occasion, the so-called Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has released a lengthy resource document that includes, among other things, a liturgical guide for an ecumenical “worship service”. The document was prepared jointly by the Novus Ordo Pontifical Council and the Protestant Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches and can be accessed in full from the Vatican web site:

• Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and throughout the Year 2017

In the introduction, the authors maintain that due to the ecumenical milestone document From Conflict to Communion, which was released last year, after “[s]eparating that which is polemical from the theological insights of the Reformation, Catholics are now able to hear [Martin] Luther’s challenge for the Church of today, recognising him as a ‘witness to the gospel'”.

The founder of Protestantism a “witness to the Gospel” — really? Let’s see what a little reality check on the German monk turns up (consider it our own contribution to this important anniversary year of the Reformation).

First, we are pleased to introduce our readers to the papal bull Exsurge Domine, condemning 41 specific errors of Martin Luther:

• Pope Leo X, Bull Exsurge Domine (1520)

Let’s go ahead and quote a few paragraphs from the papal bull and make a few aggiornamentos — you know, some slight revisions to bring this pre-Vatican II document up to date with the latest revelation from the “god of surprises”: We will replace Luther’s name with the new Novus Ordo equivalent, “Witness to the Gospel”. Here we go:

Moreover, because the preceding errors and many others are contained in the books or writings of Martin Luther this Witness to the Gospel, we likewise condemn, reprobate, and reject completely the books and all the writings and sermons of the said Martin Witness to the Gospel, whether in Latin or any other language, containing the said errors or any one of them; and we wish them to be regarded as utterly condemned, reprobated, and rejected….

As far as Martin this Witness to the Gospel himself is concerned, O good God, what have we overlooked or not done? What fatherly charity have we omitted that we might call him back from such errors? For after we had cited him, wishing to deal more kindly with him, we urged him through various conferences with our legate and through our personal letters to abandon these errors. We have even offered him safe conduct and the money necessary for the journey urging him to come without fear or any misgivings, which perfect charity should cast out, and to talk not secretly but openly and face to face after the example of our Savior and the Apostle Paul. If he the Witness to the Gospel had done this, we are certain he would have changed in heart, and he would have recognized his errors. He would not have found all these errors in the Roman Curia which he attacks so viciously, ascribing to it more than he should because of the empty rumors of wicked men. We would have shown him clearer than the light of day that the Roman pontiffs, our predecessors, whom he injuriously attacks beyond all decency, never erred in their canons or constitutions which he tries to assail. For, according to the prophet, neither is healing oil nor the doctor lacking in Galaad.

But he the Witness to the Gospel always refused to listen and, despising the previous citation and each and every one of the above overtures, disdained to come. To the present day he has been contumacious. With a hardened spirit he has continued under censure over a year. What is worse, adding evil to evil, and on learning of the citation, he broke forth in a rash appeal to a future council. This to be sure was contrary to the constitution of Pius II and Julius II our predecessors that all appealing in this way are to be punished with the penalties of heretics. In vain does he the Witness to the Gospel implore the help of a council, since he openly admits that he does not believe in a council.

Therefore we can, without any further citation or delay, proceed against him this Witness to the Gospel to his condemnation and damnation as one whose faith is notoriously suspect and in fact a true heretic with the full severity of each and all of the above penalties and censures. Yet, with the advice of our brothers, imitating the mercy of almighty God who does not wish the death of a sinner but rather that he be converted and live, and forgetting all the injuries inflicted on us and the Apostolic See, we have decided to use all the compassion we are capable of. It is our hope, so far as in us lies, that he will experience a change of heart by taking the road of mildness we have proposed, return, and turn away from his errors. We will receive him kindly as the prodigal son returning to the embrace of the Church.

Therefore let Martin this Witness to the Gospel himself and all those adhering to him, and those who shelter and support him, through the merciful heart of our God and the sprinkling of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ by which and through whom the redemption of the human race and the upbuilding of holy mother Church was accomplished, know that from our heart we exhort and beseech that he cease to disturb the peace, unity, and truth of the Church for which the Savior prayed so earnestly to the Father. Let him this Witness to the Gospel abstain from his pernicious errors that he may come back to us. If they really will obey, and certify to us by legal documents that they have obeyed, they will find in us the affection of a father’s love, the opening of the font of the effects of paternal charity, and opening of the font of mercy and clemency.

We enjoin, however, on Martin the Witness to the Gospel that in the meantime he cease from all preaching or the office of preacher.

Clearly, no issue there. Just some outdated polemics that needed cleaning up.

Next, let’s look at the bull the same Pope Leo X issued on Jan. 3, 1521, which is the formal and definitive condemnation and excommunication of Martin Luther and his followers:

• Pope Leo X, Bull Decet Romanum Pontificem (1521)

Let’s have a look at some highlights also of this papal document to further evaluate Luther’s new status as “witness to the Gospel”:

Nevertheless Martin himself—and it gives us grievous sorrow and perplexity to say this—the slave of a depraved mind, has scorned to revoke his errors within the prescribed interval and to send us word of such revocation, or to come to us himself; nay, like a stone of stumbling, he has feared not to write and preach worse things than before against us and this Holy See and the Catholic faith, and to lead others on to do the same.

He has now been declared a heretic; and so also others, whatever their authority and rank, who have cared nought of their own salvation but publicly and in all men’s eyes become followers of Martin’s pernicious and heretical sect, and given him openly and publicly their help, counsel and favour, encouraging him in their midst in his disobedience and obstinacy, or hindering the publication of our said missive: such men have incurred the punishments set out in that missive, and are to be treated rightfully as heretics and avoided by all faithful Christians, as the Apostle says (Titus iii. 10-11).

Our purpose is that such men should rightfully be ranked with Martin and other accursed heretics and excommunicates, and that even as they have ranged themselves with the obstinacy in sinning of the said Martin, they shall likewise share his punishments and his name, by bearing with them everywhere the title “Lutheran” and the punishments it incurs.

For the Vatican II Sect to call this abominable destroyer of souls, which has led to the demise of Christendom, a “witness to the Gospel”, says all you need to know about the apostate Novus Ordo establishment.

The heretical German monk was such a “witness to the Gospel” that the Catholic Church called an ecumenical council to refute his false new religion, ushering in the Catholic Counter-Reformation that culminated in a thirty years’ war in Luther’s homeland (1618-1648). To this very day, Protestantism is active in thousands of little splinter groups, teaching anything from the acceptance of homosexuality and abortion to a denial of the Most Holy Trinity — all “Bible-based”, of course.

For those who are interested in some direct quotes from this new-found “witness to the Gospel”, the following collection is eye-opening:

• The Blasphemies of Luther

Blasphemy is not limited to Luther, of course. His latest admirer, “Pope” Francis, also has a history:

• Bergoglio jokes about the Crucifixion of Christ
• Bergoglio dedicates blasphemous Marxist Crucifix to Virgin Mary
• Francis’ favorite painting is a blasphemous Crucifixion Scene
• Francis insults the Mother of God
• Bergoglio taught his Godson Swear Words
• Blasphemoglio: A Chronicle of Impiety

Since usurping the Chair of St. Peter in 2013, Francis has emphasized his theological closeness to Lutheranism and other heresies again and again, such as when he:

• claimed that Martin Luther “did not err” on the doctrine of justification, thus aligning himself with the Lutheran heresy against the Council of Trent
• told a Lutheran to do whatever she liked when she asked him whether she could receive “Holy Communion” in a Novus Ordo church, because “life is bigger than explanations”
• participated in the Reformation commemoration hosted by pro-abortion, pro-homosexual Lutherans in Lund, Sweden
• participated in said commemoration, where a Lutheran “cleric” expressed his desire for “inter-communion” by encouraging the building of “tables where we can share the bread and wine”
• claimed that “true religions are the development of the capacity that humanity has to transcend itself towards the absolute”
• called converting heretics to Catholicism a “grave sin against ecumenism”

With “witnesses to the Gospel” like Martin Luther and Jorge Bergoglio, who needs enemies of the Gospel (cf. Rom 11:28)?

Image source: Vatican Radio
License: fair use