Pope Francis announces visit to Sweden to observe 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Reformation

Ecumenical Church Service

Pope Francis says he will go to Sweden to celebrate the event that led to the Protestant Reformation and separation from the Church of Rome:

Pope to Go to Sweden for Joint Reformation Commemoration

Oct. 31 visit to Southern Swedish city of Lund Will Bring Together Leaders of Lutheran World Federation, Representatives of Other Christian Churches

January 25, 2016

This October, Pope Francis will travel to Sweden for a joint ecumenical commemoration of the start of the Reformation.

The news came this morning as the Holy See Press Office issued a statement about the Oct. 31 visit to the southern Swedish city of Lund, which will bring together leaders of the Lutheran World Federation and representatives of other Christian Churches. …

During the one-day event, there will be a common worship service in Lund cathedral, which will based on a Catholic-Lutheran “Common Prayer” liturgical guide, that was published earlier this month by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation. http://zenit.org/articles/pope-to-go-to-sweden-for-joint-reformation-commemoration/

The ecumenical movement keeps moving forward and the Vatican, Lutherans, and many others are moving down a slope they should not.

So, what happened nearly 500 years ago? On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther hammered his now famous 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany.

While the Church of Rome now agrees with many of the items on Martin Luther’s list, back then this caused tremendous dissension and was a key factor in the so-called Protestant Reformation and led to the formation of the Lutheran churches.

Pope Francis and others have been working on gaining ecumenical unity and using the upcoming 500th anniversary of Wittenberg as an opportunity for that (see Pope’s push for unity with Lutherans for 2017: Church of Sweden interest should prove to be a warning to all calling themselves Christian!).

The Catholics have an office called the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity that was mentioned in the announcement today. It is currently held by a former Swiss Bishop, now Cardinal, named Kurt Koch. He is supposed to have great insight with the “reformation” churches (meaning the Protestants) and also has held meetings with Eastern Orthodox leaders and others.

Over the past several decades, the Catholics have held a lot of ecumenical meetings. Other than important ones with the Eastern Orthodox and various Protestants, those involved with the Lutherans and Anglicans are more relevant to this article.

In terms of the Lutherans, two groundbreaking events of their ecumenical dialogue was a joint statement on the doctrine of Justification by Faith in 1983 and the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) on October 31, 1999. Here is part of the Preamble to the JDDJ:

1.The doctrine of justification was of central importance for the Lutheran Reformation of the sixteenth century. It was held to be the “first and chief article”[1] and at the same time the “ruler and judge over all other Christian doctrines.”[2] The doctrine of justification was particularly asserted and defended in its Reformation shape and special valuation over against the Roman Catholic Church and theology of that time, which in turn asserted and defended a doctrine of justification of a different character. From the Reformation perspective, justification was the crux of all the disputes. Doctrinal condemnations were put forward both in the Lutheran Confessions[3] and by the Roman Catholic Church’s Council of Trent. These condemnations are still valid today and thus have a church-dividing effect.

2.For the Lutheran tradition, the doctrine of justification has retained its special status. Consequently it has also from the beginning occupied an important place in the official Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue.

3.Special attention should be drawn to the following reports: “The Gospel and the Church” (1972)[4] and “Church and Justification” (1994)[5] by the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Joint Commission, “Justification by Faith” (1983)[6] of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue in the USA and “The Condemnations of the Reformation Era – Do They Still Divide?” (1986)[7] by the Ecumenical Working Group of Protestant and Catholic theologians in Germany. Some of these dialogue reports have been officially received by the churches. An important example of such reception is the binding response of the United Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Germany to the “Condemnations” study, made in 1994 at the highest possible level of ecclesiastical recognition together with the other churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany.[8]

4.In their discussion of the doctrine of justification, all the dialogue reports as well as the responses show a high degree of agreement in their approaches and conclusions. The time has therefore come to take stock and to summarize the results of the dialogues on justification so that our churches may be informed about the overall results of this dialogue with the necessary accuracy and brevity, and thereby be enabled to make binding decisions.

5.The present Joint Declaration has this intention: namely, to show that on the basis of their dialogue the subscribing Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church[9] are now able to articulate a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ. It does not cover all that either church teaches about justification; it does encompass a consensus on basic truths of the doctrine of justification and shows that the remaining differences in its explication are no longer the occasion for doctrinal condemnations.

[1] The Smalcald Articles, II,1; Book of Concord, 292. [2] “Rector et judex super omnia genera doctrinarum” Weimar Edition of Luther’s Works (WA), 39,I,205. [3] It should be noted that some Lutheran churches include only the Augsburg Confession and Luther’s Small Catechism among their binding confessions. These texts contain no condemnations about justification in relation to the Roman Catholic Church. [4] Report of the Joint Lutheran-Roman Catholic Study Commission, published in Growth in Agreement (New York; Geneva, 1984), pp. 168-189. [5] Published by the Lutheran World Federation (Geneva, 1994). [6] Lutheran and Catholics in Dialogue VII (Minneapolis, 1985). [7] Minneapolis, 1990. [8] “Gemeinsame Stellungnahme der Arnoldshainer Konferenz, der Vereinigten Kirche und des Deutschen Nationalkomitees des Lutherischen Weltbundes zum Dokument ‘Lehrverurteilungen – kirchentrennend?’,” Ökumenische Rundschau 44 (1995): 99-102; See also the position papers which underlie this resolution, in Lehrverurteilungen im Gespräch, Die ersten offiziellen Stellungnahmen aus den evangelischen Kirchen in Deutschland (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1993). [9] The word “church” is used in this Declaration to reflect the self-understandings of the participating churches, without intending to resolve all the ecclesiological issues related to this term.
(JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html viewed 02/27/14)

In the wake of the JDDJ of 1999, round XI, “The Hope for Eternal Life” is seen as a precursor leading up to a shared Lutheran/Roman Catholic commemoration of the October 31, 2017, 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses. It appears that the Church of Rome and many of the Lutherans wish to declare an end to much of the theological divides between the two groups on or by October 31, 2017.

Some feel that the above agreement has already effectively eliminated Protestantism and that Protestants and Catholics are now unified as the ‘justification doctrine’ is seen by many to have been amongst the most significantly theological differences between Roman Catholicism and Martin Luther’s movement.

In the 21st century, there were major strides towards moving towards acceptance of the Anglicans as well. On October 20, 2009, CNN reported that the Vatican announced that it would allow Anglicans (and American Episcopalians) to become part of the Church of Rome without having to change much of their practices and rituals (Messia H. and Hanna J. Vatican welcomes Anglicans into Catholic Church. CNN, October 20, 2009. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/20/vatican.anglican.church/).

Yet this is in conflict with Catholic teachings. Pope Leo XIII declared in 1896, “ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void” (Pope Leo XIII: On the Nullity of Anglican Orders, Apostolicae Curae, 1896. Modern History Sourcebook. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1896leo13-apost.html)–which means for the Vatican to now accept those baptized, etc. by Anglican priests as Roman Catholic shows that compromise has occurred. The Vatican of the 21st century has since amended its constitution to accept the Anglicans.

On November 9, 2009, an Episcopal cleric explained how this would work and clearly stated that this allows for “the faculty to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and the other Sacraments … according to the liturgical books proper to the Anglican tradition” (Franklin. B. Vatican’s Apostolic Constitution explained. Episcopal Life Online, November 9, 2009. http://www.episcopal-life.org/80050_116538_ENG_HTM.htm).

Notice something a Methodist leader stated in an interview with the pro-Vatican news agency Zenit:

January 25, 2016

Dr. Macquiban has been a minister in the British Methodist Church since 1987 …

ZENIT: This is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Why is praying for Christian unity important?

Reverend Macquiban:. After 50 years of dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church we pray because prayer changes things and when we pray together our attitudes, centred on the recognition of our common baptism and incorporation into the One Body inpels us to learn to love and respect each other whatever our differences.

ZENIT: How is Pope Francis advancing ecumenical relations?

Reverend Macquiban: All that Pope Francis says and does, particularly now in this Year of Mercy, opens doors once shut and the wind of change blows through. His warmth for those who are other, whether Christian or not, is evidence of God’s love reaching out to all. http://zenit.org/articles/interview-all-pope-francis-says-does-opens-doors-once-shut-says-christian-leader-in-rome/

But the Bible says that God, not a human, opens and closes the doors:

6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. (Revelation 3:6-8)

While being friendly is fine, what is being opened now by Pope Francis is not of God. As far as Methodists go, their historical views on justification are incompatible with Roman Catholicism, but perhaps Dr. Macquiban does not care about such things.

Since the Lutherans, Methodists, and Catholic have resolved many of their differences and ignored some of their own histories, many of them are poised for greater unity. Such unity will happen, but it is not endorsed by the Bible. The Bible is clear that a group of churches, led by one from the city of seven hills, is to be avoided and will end in disaster (Revelation 17:1-10,18).

Notice what Jude wrote from the New Jerusalem Bible (a Roman Catholic approved translation into the English language):

3 I felt that I must write to you encouraging you to fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people. (Jude 3, NJB)

That scripture would also not suggest that doctrinal compromise is appropriate for the faithful.

I would also add here that the Lutherans, who take their name from Martin Luther, have repeatedly compromised in various areas, including several related to their political quest for ecumenical unity.

Martin Luther, himself, taught against the concept that the Roman Catholic Church was the one true church. And while most modern Protestant leaders would agree on that point, Martin Luther took this much further.

Specifically, Martin Luther taught that the Roman Catholic Church was the “great harlot of the Apocalypse” (O’Hare PF. The Facts About Luther, originally 1916, 1987 ed., p.9). Martin Luther also claimed that the Pope was the “Antichrist” (Ibid). Notice also the following:

(1) Martin Luther:… We here are of the conviction that the Papacy is the seat of the true and real antichrist…

(2) John Calvin: I deny him to be the vicar of Christ. … He is an antichrist — I deny him to be the head of the Church (John Calvin Tracts, Volume 1, pages 219, 220). (Standish CD, Standish RR. The Evangelical Dilemma. Hartland Publications, 1996, p. 162)

Samuel Lee (a seventeenth century Rhode Island minister): It is agreed among all main lines of the English Church that the Roman pontiff is the Antichrist (Samuel Lee, The Cutting off of Antichrist, p. 1). (Standish CD, Standish RR. The Antichrist is Here. Hartland Publications, 1988, p. 16)

With all the ecumenical discussions going on these days, many Protestant leaders no longer seem to believe in the papal-antichrist position of many of their early leaders. But they should or they will not be able to tell Jesus Christ from the final Antichrist (watch also Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?).

For the record, I should state that I agree with certain Catholic leaders who have claimed that the final Antichrist will be some type of antipope (see Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies?).

Jesus DID NOT come so that the world would be united in this age. Notice what Jesus said:

51 ‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. (Luke 12:51, NJB).

Scripture warns against a coming ecumenical unity which it teaches will be successful:

4 They prostrated themselves in front of the dragon because he had given the beast his authority; and they prostrated themselves in front of the beast, saying, ‘Who can compare with the beast? Who can fight against it?’ 5 The beast was allowed to mouth its boasts and blasphemies and to be active for forty-two months; 6 and it mouthed its blasphemies against God, against his name, his heavenly Tent and all those who are sheltered there. 7 It was allowed to make war against the saints and conquer them, and given power over every race, people, language and nation; 8 and all people of the world will worship it, that is, everybody whose name has not been written down since the foundation of the world in the sacrificial Lamb’s book of life. 9 Let anyone who can hear, listen: 10 Those for captivity to captivity; those for death by the sword to death by the sword. This is why the saints must have perseverance and faith. (Revelation 13:4-10, NJB)

The Bible warns against an end time Babylon unity (note: the New Jerusalem Bible, a Catholic-approved translation, is shown):

1 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute who is enthroned beside abundant waters, 2 with whom all the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves, and who has made all the population of the world drunk with the wine of her adultery.’ 3 He took me in spirit to a desert, and there I saw a woman riding a scarlet beast which had seven heads and ten horns and had blasphemous titles written all over it. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold and jewels and pearls, and she was holding a gold winecup filled with the disgusting filth of her prostitution; 5 on her forehead was written a name, a cryptic name: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of all the prostitutes and all the filthy practices on the earth.’ 6 I saw that she was drunk, drunk with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I was completely mystified. (Revelation 17:1-6, NJB)

9 ‘This calls for shrewdness. The seven heads are the seven hills, on which the woman is sitting…18 The woman you saw is the great city which has authority over all the rulers on earth.’ (Revelation 17:9,18, NJB)

1 After this, I saw another angel come down from heaven, with great authority given to him; the earth shone with his glory. 2 At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird. 3 All the nations have drunk deep of the wine of her prostitution; every king on the earth has prostituted himself with her, and every merchant grown rich through her debauchery.’ 4 Another voice spoke from heaven; I heard it say, ‘Come out, my people, away from her, so that you do not share in her crimes and have the same plagues to bear. 5 Her sins have reached up to the sky, and God has her crimes in mind: treat her as she has treated others. 6 She must be paid double the amount she exacted. She is to have a doubly strong cup of her own mixture. 7 Every one of her pomps and orgies is to be matched by a torture or an agony. I am enthroned as queen, she thinks; I am no widow and will never know bereavement. 8 For that, in one day, the plagues will fall on her: disease and mourning and famine. She will be burned to the ground. The Lord God who has condemned her is mighty.’ 9 ‘There will be mourning and weeping for her by the kings of the earth who have prostituted themselves with her and held orgies with her. They see the smoke as she burns, (Revelation 18:1-9, NJB)

In Zechariah, the Bible warns against a coming Babylon and shows that proper unity will not happen until after Jesus returns:

10 Look out! Look out! Flee from the land of the north — Yahweh declares- for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven — Yahweh declares. 11 Look out! Make your escape, Zion, now living with the daughter of Babylon!

12 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, since the Glory commissioned me, about the nations who plundered you, ‘Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye. 13 Now look, I shall wave my hand over them and they will be plundered by those whom they have enslaved.’ Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me! 14 Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion, for now I am coming to live among you -Yahweh declares! 15 And on that day many nations will be converted to Yahweh. Yes, they will become his people, and they will live among you. Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you! 16 Yahweh will take possession of Judah, his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his choice. (Zechariah 2:10-16, NJB; note in translations such as the NKJV these are shown as Zechariah 2:6-12)

The ecumenical and inter-faith movements that the Vatican and the Eastern Orthodox leaders are promoting are clearly condemned by the Bible and should not be encouraged.

The Bible itself warns against the type of ecumenical unity that Pope Francis and various Protestant leaders are working towards (e.g. Revelation 17). The Bible does not teach that Christians will have the type of unity that the Vatican claim to want UNTIL AFTER THE FALL OF BABYLON (Zechariah 2:10-13 NKJV; Zechariah 2:12-16 NJB).

The Bible tells that the ecumenical/inter-faith movement will also end in destruction (Revelation 18 & 19). This is not something that Catholics nor the Lutherans should want. But Pope Francis is planning on going to Sweden to push for it. As far as the Swedes go, it appears that they are descendants of a son of Jacob named Napthali (for details see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel), yet many now are irreligious.

Despite the claiming rallying cry of sola Scriptura, the reality is that the Catholics of Rome and the Lutherans will both have to ignore many scriptures for the type of reconciliation and unity that many are pushing for. The fact that there was bloody conflict between the Catholics and Lutherans hundreds of years ago helps demonstrate that they were not following the true , orginal Christian faith (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence? and Where is the True Christian Church Today?).

Only the return of Jesus Christ and the millennial kingdom will bring the true type of unity that the world needs. The Vatican and the Lutherans are pushing for a type of unity that will end in disaster according to the Bible.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! and World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the genuine Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example? Here is a related sermon video: Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong: Reformers with Differences.
Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? Former Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is now Pope Francis. According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? Could a Jesuit be “the black pope”?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.