Few historical events are more complicated than the Protestant Reformation, and the Protestant sects often times spent more energy disputing with each other than with the Church. Martin Luther is like many revolutionaries who bring about an explosion in the affairs of Man and spend most of their careers saying words to the effect of, “But that is not what I intended at all!” “What a monstrous misinterpretation of what I said!” “That goes against all prior Christian history!” When you start a roaring fire, be not shocked when it quickly escapes your control.
Just in Time for “Reformation Day”
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
An epic response to a person who once said to me “Mary is scary.” This person has since left the Church.
It is mighty fascinating to read those quotations, especially when you consider the dates of them (especially anything after 1520-21).
Revolutionaries are *often* good on the diagnostic side, and then they go overboard and propose cures which are worse than the alleged disease.
For the years I taught Church history, I always referred to Luther, et al as the “revolt” and the Council of Trent as the “reform”. “Counter-reformation” is poor framing that accepts the premise of Luther.
A test. My Google / Yahoo profile may still be doing strange things to my ability to comment without auto-moderation.
This post is now shared on FB for all my Protestant friends who (like too many Catholic today) remain abysmally ignorant of what their hero Martin Luther actually taught.
That said, if Leo continues with the heresies of Jorge the Heretic, then he may find himself having created a rebellion equal to that which Luther inspired. Perhaps that’s the Devil’s point. Nevertheless, the gates of hell shall not prevail; liberal progressives in both the Church and the State are going to be defeated sooner or later.
I once read where the convert prayer is really, “God forgive me if this is wrong, but Mary, I need your help!”
I suppose the success of the reformation can be measured inversely by the number of denominations it spawned.
We had a priest for a while who liked calling it (even from the pulpit) the Protestant Deformation. 😀
Lead Kindly Light:
“An epic response to a person who once said to me “Mary is scary.” This person has since left the Church.
The Blessed Virgin Mary sought Perpetual Virginity in body and soul so as to do the will of God perfectly and to maintain her original innocence. God granted Mary her desired Perpetual Virginity in body and soul. Mary thereby maintained her original innocence.
At pro-creation Mary became The Immaculate Conception.
As Thomas Jefferson writes in the Declaration of Independence: “all men are created equal” in original innocence with free will and intellect. Free will and intellect are sorely damaged by the imposition of original sin. Man loses his relationship with God. Although God continues to love man perfectly, man looses his ability to respond in kind. Man’s response to the gift of Faith from God is called religion. The state is instituted by man to preserve and protect man’s freedom to respond to the gift of Faith from God.
(The state does not institute itself and cannot tyrannize the freedom into which man is created and endowed by “their Creator” Decl.)
The Blessed Mary found favor with God. Mary is full of grace and does the will of God perfectly.
Man has chosen to fall into original sin.
Those of us who have not maintained our original innocence are plagued with concupiscence.
The fear of sinning against the all loving God is the beginning of wisdom.
Matthew:
“I once read where the convert prayer is really, “God forgive me if this is wrong, but Mary, I need your help!”
Mary said to Juan Diego: “Am I not your Mother?”