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Catholics, Lutherans and the Augsburg Confession

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Catholics, Lutherans and the Augsburg Confession Theological Studies Faculty Works Theological Studies 2-10-1979 Catholics, Lutherans and the Augsburg Confession Thomas P. Rausch Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/theo_fac Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, and the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Permission has been granted by America Press, Inc. to supply this article for educational and research purposes. More info can be found about American Press at http://www.americamagazine.org/. Copyright © 1979 America Press Inc. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Theological Studies at Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theological Studies Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THOMAS P. RAUSCH Catholics, Lutherans and the Augsburg Confession Through the profession of faith of the Lutheran churches, the Reformers hoped to create upity among Christians. After their own reforms of Vatican II, Catholics should calmly and prayerfully reexamine the document Almost 450 years ago, in a Germany Forum for a joint observance of the office of bishop, keeping in mind the torn by religious conflict but not yet 450th anniversary of the Augsburg Con­ concrete possibility of reestablishing divided into separate churches, the Em­ fession in l 980. As 1530 marked the church fellowship and ecclesiastical peror Charles V invited the Lutheran beginning of the formal division, why communion. territorial princes and electors to submit could not a year-long program of shared A common concern of those involved a written presentation of their beliefs study and interaction between Lutheran in the dialogue is the creation of a and practices. The Emperor's concern and Roman Catholic parishes lead to a broad, common basis of trust between was the restoration of a religious unity in rediscovery of unity in the one church of the two churches. One concrete proposal his dominions so that he might turn with Christ? This proposal for an observance was made to the International Lutheran­ a united empire to face the danger of the of the anniversary of the Augsburg Con­ Roman Catholic Working · Group in Turks. The response of the Reformers, fession in the United States grows out of Rome in January 1974. The proposal formulated by Philip Melanchthon in the recent dialogues between Lutherans was that the Roman Catholic Church both German and Latin, was presented and Roman Catholics, the history of recognize the Augsburg Confession as a to the Emperor at Augsburg on June 25, which we should briefly review. testimony of catholic, ecclesial faith. In 1530. This document, known as the other words, the suggestion is that the Confessio Augustana, or Augsburg The Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue Catholic Church recognize it as the Confession, was to become the basic norm of evangelical Lutheranism and as confession of faith of the churches On Feb. 9, 1972, the final report of the a legitimate expression of Christian which would afterward be called Joint Lutheran-Roman Catholic Study truth, and that it express in its own "Lutheran." Commission was published, bringing to manner and idiom the same content of The Confession was intended to be a a close the first stage of the International faith that the Roman Catholic Church presentation of the essentials of Chris­ Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue. confesses. tianity as understood by the Reformers. The report, entitled "The Gospel and What would be the advantage of this? In its Preface, the Reformers express the Church," better known as the First, in recognizing the Confession as a their desire to unite the various parties "Malta Report," did not represent a statement of catholic, ecclesial faith, the among themselves and "to put aside formula concordiae, or agreed state­ Roman Catholic Church would help to whatever may not have been rightly in­ ment. It did try to present a methodo­ dispel many Roman Catholic misappre­ terpreted or treated by either side, to logical and theological description of the hensions and illusions concerning· Lu­ have all of us embrace and adhere to a points at issue in the Lutheran-Catholic theranism. These misapprehensions and single, true religion and live together in dialogue. From this, two questions have illusions are rooted in the polemics of the unity and in one fellowship and church, emerged as important for the continua­ Reformation and its aftermath, espe­ even as we are all enlisted under one tion of the dialogue: l) How will the cially some of the exaggerated state­ Christ." So the Reformers also wanted consensus that has been reached be ments of the Reformers in the early, unity. Unfortunately, the polemical received? and 2) What can be said about radical period of the Reformation be­ response formulated by the Roman the­ the unclarity regarding a common doc­ tween the years 1520-25. Such a recogni­ ologians, principally by John Eck and trine of the ministry? tion would also serve as a corrective to Joseph Cochlaus, failed to take advan­ A new international Lutheran-Catho­ the polemical Catholic habit of using tage of the desire for unity expressed in lic task force created in 1973 is attempt­ these extreme positions to characterize the document, and so dissension hard­ ing to address these issues. Therefore, in Lutheranism in succeeding years and ened into schism between the Roman the light of the ecumenical documents, centuries. To restrict the Lutheran chur­ and "Lutheran" churches. Today, in two tasks confront those in the Luther­ ches of the Reformation to the state­ the different climate of the post­ an-Catholic dialogue: 1) Consolidate ments of the young Luther is an inad­ Vatican-11 church, a proposal has come what has been attained and create a missible reductionism, begun during the from the Roman Catholic Graymoor broad, common basis of trust; and 2) Reformation by the Catholic theologian Ecumenical Institute and the Lutheran Concretize the discussion regarding the Joseph Cochlaus in his evaluation of the 86 A merica I rebruary IO, 1979 Confession and one that unfortunately phasis on the voluntary character of Catholic theology renewed by Vatican II is sometimes practiced by Roman Cath­ fasts and mortifications, a rejection of rather than against the backdrop of the olics even today. A second advantage the idea that monastic vows were equal polemics of the Reformation. What then would be the recognition of a common to baptism or that a monastic life could does the document teach? expression of faith, which could provide earn justification or the forgiveness of The Augsburg Confession affirms the a basis for a new trust and fellowship sins, rejection, too, of the practice of ad­ trinitarian theology of the Council of between the churches. mitting to vows men and . women Nicaea, rejecting the contrary heresies. younger than the canonical age. It affirms the reality of original sin, the Theology of the Confession In addressing the question of episco­ need . for and gratuitous character of pal 'power, it acknowledges that bishops redemption. It acknowledges the Chris­ It is important to emphasize that the have God-given power to preach the tology of the early councils, including the Augsburg Confession is explicitly in­ Gospel, forgive and retain sins and to virgin birth. Justification and the for­ tended to be an expression of the faith of administer the sacraments, while dis­ giveness of sin cannot he won by our the universal, catholic church on the tinguishing the "temporal authority and own merit, as Roman Catholics would part of what we now call the Lutheran the sword" given the bishops by human also acknowledge. Rather, justification churches. In presenting "a summary of right for temporal or civil administra­ and forgiveness of sin is merited by the doctrines that are preached and tion. Christ and is ours through faith. taught in our churches," it argues not The most radical change that appears In addition, it affirms that "to obtain only that its tea·ching is grounded on in the Confession is the abolition of the such faith, God instituted the office of Scripture, but also that it "is not con­ requirement of clerical celibacy. The Re­ the ministry, that is, provided the trary or opposed to that of the universal formers were as aware as we are today Gospel and the sacraments." The Cath­ Christian church, or even of the Roman that clerical celibacy was a matter of olic concern for the efficacy of the Church (in so far as the latter's teaching church discipline. Their concern here sacraments is met in the statement that is reflected in the writings of the was to address the scandal caused by the "the sacraments are efficacious even if Fathers)." failures in the observance of celibacy on the priests who administer them are The first part of the Confession treats the part of so many priests. They point wicked men." It acknowledges that bap­ of basic faith and doctrine. In the first out that celibacy is a charism in the tism is necessary, that grace is offered 21 articles, it covers the Triune God, proper sense, a gift of God, not a re­ through it and that even children should origin.al sin, the Son of God, justifica­ quirement of law. be baptized. In regard to the Eucharist, tion, the office of the ministry, the new For Roman Catholics to recognize the the Reformers assert that "it is taught obedience, the church, baptism, confes­ Confession as a Lutheran expression of among us that the true body and blood sion, repentance, the use of the sacra­ catholic, ecclesial faith would be also to of Christ are really present in the Supper ments, the regular calling of ministers, acknowledge that the binding norm of our Lord under the forms of bread church usage or rites,· civil government, (norma normans) of Lutheran faith an·d and wine and are there distributed and the second coming, freedom of the will, the cause of sin, faith and good works 'The catholic character of the Augsburg Confession and the cult of the saints.
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