Pope Francis & Lutherans Sign Declaration

On October 31, 2016, Pope Francis signed a joint declaration with the president of the Lutheran World Federation, Munib Younan, in Sweden. This was to mark the beginning of what is planned to be a year-long "celebration" of Martin Luther's break with Eternal Rome. This declaration, in part, stated:

 

Through dialogue and shared witness we are no longer strangers. Rather, we have learned that what unites us is greater than what divides us. While we are profoundly thankful for the spiritual and theological gifts received through the Reformation, we also confess and lament before Christ that Lutherans and Catholics have wounded the visible unity of the church. Theological differences were accompanied by prejudice and conflicts, and religion was instrumentalised for political ends.”

We have discussed the timeless teaching of Holy Mother Church regarding the Lutheran heresy recently, and will continue to provide more concrete and specific information on Martin Luther and his revolution in the coming weeks. Today, we present the following communication from Fr. Christian Bouchacourt, SSPX District Superior of France.

Communiqué from SSPX District Superior of France

Nov. 2, 2016

On reading the joint declaration which the Pope made with the representatives of the Lutheran church in Sweden on 31st October, on the occasion of the fifth centenary of Luther's revolt against the Catholic Church, our sadness has reached new depths.



Faced with the genuine scandal represented by such a declaration in which historical errors, grave attacks on the preaching of the Catholic Faith and a false humanism, source of so many evils, follow one after the other, we cannot remain silent.



Under the fallacious pretext of love of neighbor and the desire for an artificial and illusory unity, the Catholic Faith is sacrificed on the altar of that ecumenism which puts the salvation of souls in peril. The most enormous errors and the Truth of Our Lord Jesus Christ are put on an equal footing.



How can we be “profoundly thankful for the spiritual and theological gifts received through the Reformation”, when Luther manifested a diabolical hatred towards the Sovereign Pontiff, a blasphemous scorn for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as well as a refusal of the saving Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ? He also destroyed the doctrine on the Eucharist by refusing Transubstantiation, turned souls away from the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and denied the existence of Purgatory.



No, Protestantism brought nothing to Catholicism! It ruined the unity of Christendom, separated whole countries from the Catholic Church, plunged souls into error, putting their eternal salvation in peril. We Catholics want Protestants to return to the unique fold of Christ which is the Catholic Church and we pray for this intention.



In these days when we celebrate all the Saints, we call out to Saint Pius V, Saint Charles Borromeo, Saint Ignatius and Saint Peter Canisius who heroically fought the Protestant heresy and saved the Catholic Church.



We invite the faithful of the District of France to pray and do penance for the Sovereign Pontiff so that Our Lord, whose Vicar he is, may preserve him from error and keep him in the Truth of which he is the guardian.



I invite the priests of the District to celebrate a Mass of reparation and to organise a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament to ask pardon for these scandals and to beg Our Lord to calm the tempest which has been shaking the Church for more than half a century now.



Our Lady Help of Christians, save the Catholic Church and pray for us!



Father Christian Bouchacourt

District Superior of France for the Society of Saint Pius X

Source: La Porte Latine  Translation credit: The Remnant Newspaper