That Martin Luther? He wasn’t so bad, says Pope

[Canuckistanian]

Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices.

Pope Benedict will issue his findings on Luther (1483-1546) in September after discussing him at his annual seminar of 40 fellow theologians — known as the Ratzinger Schülerkreis — at Castelgandolfo, the papal summer residence. According to Vatican insiders the Pope will argue that Luther, who was excommunicated and condemned for heresy, was not a heretic.

~snip

The move to re-evaluate Luther is part of a drive to soften Pope Benedict's image as an arch conservative hardliner as he approaches the third anniversary of his election next month. This week it emerged that the Vatican is planning to erect a statue of Galileo, who also faced a heresy trial, to mark the 400th anniversary next year of his discovery of the telescope.

~snip

Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X, who dismissed him initially as “a drunken German who will change his mind when sober”.

Looks like the Rumsfeldian, "hey, mistakes were made" rule is in effect here. 491 years later.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3492299.ece

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

1. too bad galileo didn't "discover" the telescope

he did improve it, tho.

with his 7 new deadly sins ratzinger is on a roll.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. A few quotes from "not so bad" Martin Luther

No wonder Ratso likes him.

"The Devil can so completely assume the human form, when he wants to deceive us, that we may well lie with what seems to be a woman, of real flesh and blood, and yet all the while 'tis only the Devil in the shape of a woman. 'Tis the same with women, who may think that a man is in bed with them, yet 'tis only the Devil; and...the result of this connection is oftentimes an imp of darkness, half mortal, half devil...." (Martin Luther)

"Women...have but small and narrow chests, and broad hips, to the end that they should remain at home, sit still, keep house, and bear and bring up children." (Martin Luther)

"He who hears this name from a Jew must inform the authorities, or else throw sow dung at him when he sees him and chase him away." "If I had power over the Jews, as our princes and cities have, I would deal severely with their lying mouth." (Martin Luther, in his book, "The Jews and Their Lies",1543)

"If we wish to wash our hands of the Jews' blasphemy and not share in their guilt, we have to part company with them. They must be driven from our country." (Martin Luther, in his book, "The Jews and Their Lies",1543)

"What shall we Christians do now with this depraved and damned people of the Jews? ... I will give my faithful advice: First, that one should set fire to their synagogues. . . . Then that one should also break down and destroy their houses. . . . That one should drive them out the country." (Martin Luther, in his book, "The Jews and Their Lies",1543)

"We are at fault for not slaying them ." (Martin Luther)

"...but then eject them forever from this country. For, as we have heard, God's anger with them is so intense that gentle mercy will only tend to make them worse and worse, while sharp mercy will reform them but little. Therefore, in any case, away with them!" Martin Luther, in his book, "The Jews and Their Lies",1543)

"What shall we do with...the Jews?... I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings...are to be taken from them... I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews... I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach on pain of loss of life and limb... set fire to their synagogues or schools and bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them... their homes also should be razed and destroyed." (Martin Luther)

[Canuckistanian]

3. That's right! Luther was a notorious anti-Semite and patriarchal figure

What to make of this?

[frebrd]

4. I've always thought it odd...

that Martin Luther King Jr's grandparents would name their son after a rabid anti-semite.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Luther's hatred of the Jews was personal

Originally, he was quite sympathetic to them and even studied Hebrew with a rabbi in preparation for translating the Bible into German.

He believed that the only thing keeping Jews from turning Christian was the corruption of the Catholic Church.

When they didn't oblige him by converting after he had started an alternative, he turned against them.

He had a similar reaction after he wrote about how all people were equal before God and some peasants used his word as an inspiration for rebellion.

Luther was a brilliant man: capable of translating the entire Bible into German from the original Hebrew and Greek on his own, composing music and poetry, writing and debating philosophy and theology, and not afraid to stand his ground against a church hierarchy that was fond of burning heretics at the stake.

But for all his gifts, he was not a nice person.

[BlooInBloo]

5. Heh - purge a church of corruption by.... making another church. Genius.

[CatholicEdHead]

6. Good for the Pope, some ultra-tradionalists are going to blow fuses over this

I can just see it now on another board I post at.