![]() ![]() Even in Northern Ireland, where the fault line in the Western Church runs deepest, quiet conversations and the discovery of shared values have inspired new reflections. The Evangelical Roman Catholic Dialogue on Mission reminded us in 1994 that “the walls of our separation do not reach to heaven itself.” In the spirit of John 17, are we not compelled to reflect again and with greater intensity on the hierarchy of truths in the Christian religion?Ĭooperation on many social issues has forged friendships and opened new possibilities that few imagined twenty years ago. With secularism rampant in Europe, our internecine disputes may appear as an unaffordable luxury as a generation is lost to Christ. The future, as presciently observed, by Reformed theologian J.I Packer in the 1980’s, is between those who accept the historic creeds and those who do not. If mutual anathematisation is annulled, time is now of the essence in our quest for a greater understanding? We have entered a new post-Christian era in Europe, where truth is relative and experience definitive. Serious questions remain, particularly on ecclesiological issues, but is it not the time to acknowledge that. It was literally and semantically the introduction of grace, which began to unravel the Gordian knot. Martin Luther has been rehabilitated from the perception of Catholics as “a heretic who destroyed the unity of the Church and endangered countless souls” to a man who intended to “renew the Church not divide her.” By 1999, the Lutherans and Catholics felt free to remove the anathemas. It was not until the 20 th century when Karl Barth and Karl Rahner reframed the question of justification that the irenic spirit of Regensburg finally re-emerged. Such tendentious summaries laid the foundation for centuries of division that scandalised Europe and shattered Christendom. What if the definitions agreed between Philip Melancthon and Cardinal Contarini at the Colloquy of Regensburg in 1541 on justification had been accepted by Rome and Augsburg? The fissure that had emerged at Wittenburg soon developed into a chasm as points of agreement were ignored and, Councils and Confessions, replete with mutual anathematisation, were defined by way of hard and fast dividing lines. Quickly came to an agreement on such doctrines as original sin, free will,Īnd even justification.If justification was not the only issue that the theses nailed to the Wittenburg door addressed, it certainly transfixed the Fathers at the Council of Trent, who devoted 16 chapters and 33 canons to the subject. Recognized that this was best left until the dispatch of easier matters Pope Paul wanted the issue of his authority settled first. The talks followed an outline known as the Regensburg Book, which had been prepared in advance by Martin Bucer and John Gropper and read and revised by Cardinal Contarini. ![]() Speaking for the Protestants were Melanchthon, Bucer, and Pistorius. Negotiating for the Catholic side were Eck, Pflug, and Gropper. He declared that the differences between the two sides were too great to JohnĬalvin turned up to watch the proceedings, but he proved prophetic when Must suffer a good deal if some agreement could not be worked out. ![]() They were outnumbered in Europe and knew they The doctrine of justification were close to Luther's. Representative Cardinal Contarini, a man of pure life whose views on Pope Paul III also hoped for reconciliation. This was the fulfillment of attempts to restore ecclesiastical unity in the Holy Roman Empire with a theological debate between the Protestants and the Catholics. The Colloquy of Regensburg, also known as the Colloquy of Ratisbon, was a conference held at Regensburg (Ratisbon) in Bavaria in 1541 during the Protestant Reformation. Realized that religious differences had torn Europe apart and hadĪllowed the Turks to drive almost into Germany. ![]() In his opening statement, Charles said that he On this day, Ap, Emperor Charles VĬonvened a conference at Ratisbon (Regensburg) to discuss the reunification Rome and the Reformers "almost" got back together. ![]()
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