Not true, see this article at :http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0801347.htm

Joe Berry, New Orleans, LA

Praise God for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that the Vicar of Christ has captured.

Isn't this the humility to acknowledge that we are all sinners and that it is the Church, the Body of Christ that should reach out in healing, admonishing in the love of Christ?

I love it. It gives me peace to know that in the end His Kingdom will come on earth as it is in Heaven. Let's keep on praying for His Gtace and Mercy, without which "eyes cannot see and ears cannot hear".

Praise God.

Maria Yvonne Tan, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Was this article mean tfor 'The Sun', but got printed in the 'Times' by some mistake?

Evidence, please, for this report? No, not further assertions, just evidence, thank you.

Sean, Baile Thiar, Ireland

Dear Lamar, Birmingham - to which 'history' do you refer?

a) If it's the Pope's attempt to heal the rift with the Lutherans, then if he makes a statement, he will no doubt praise those aspects of Luther's life that can be praised, and remain silent on the rest. That is not manipulation, it is charity in the service of unity.
b) If you refer to the "Nazi soldier" attacks, made after his election, then that non-story has long since been dealt with.
c) Or are you talking about the lies that he helped cover up the appalling actions of predatory homosexual clergy (a group of people he himself has called "the filth in the Church", and has excluded from seminaries)? Again, it's a non-story, refuted long ago.

Darkness will always try to overcome the light; truth will be attacked. And those attacks are increasing all the time. Christianity, which built our western world, is now hated by that world and the results are everywhere plain to see. But the light will not be overcome.

Benedict Carter, Moscow, Russia

It should be noted that Ratzinger Schülerkreis is not a teaching arm of the Church. I doubt the story is entirely true.

Dozie, Austin, Texas

All very handsomely said, Mr. Carter, but why laugh or cry when history itself is malleable in the hands of your pope?

If this article is accurate, your heretic Luther is soon to be the New History's model Roman Catholic.

Lamar, Birmingham,

in my parochial school days, i learned that martin luther was the greatest loss to the Catholic Church.

dee, ashland, ma

What makes me laugh and cry at the same time (as a Catholic who knows something of his own Faith and that of the "reformers") is the quite atrocious grasp of even basic Catholic tenets, the Bible, and the appalling knowledge of history displayed by the contributors. Luther was indeed a heretic - he changed the Faith and invented a "new' Christianity of his own devising by dumping 1,600 years of constant teaching on the doctrine of Grace; and in the end placed himself (explicitly) even above General Councils. One error led to the next until he had to invent a new concept of what the Church was (and is). The Holy Father will not be saying that Luther was not a heretic, he manifestly was, but, given (thank God) the reapprochment in our own day between the Church and Luther's followers, in showing them the charity and humilty of the Church - which is Christ's own - Pope Benedict seeks to draw them back (and all men) into the Church, and thus to Jesus Christ, in the fullness of truth.

Benedict Carter, Moscow, Russia

Robert, if he "misinterpreted" he was certainly not "infallible." The fact of the matter is that Luther pointed out the corruption of the church. If the church was to actually follow the teachings of Jesus, it certainly wouldn't need anyone between us and God. We need leaders, yes- but saying a human being is infallible is blasphemy! Vein repitions do not absolve one of sin either- Only repenting to God and acknowledging Jesus' loving sacrifice can do that.
The real church isn't a building, or even a group of people identifying themselves as the church. The church is a group of Christians, acting as Jesus specifically told them to act- and there are far too few people doing that. Instead, they attempt to undermine the Son of God for their own ends, thus disenfranchising followers and rejecting those who need rescued from sin instead of trying to win them over. We are called to be loving to all, but not to cast aside the teachings of Jesus to serve the whims of others and be PC.

Chris, Baghdad, Iraq

Luther was more of an "evangelical catholic" and really only sought to go back to what the earlier church fathers believed and practiced before some of the later medieval abuses, but the Pope has not dealt with two key abuses: justification by grace through faith alone in the Word and Sacraments; and the abuse of making the Mass into a propitiatory sacrifice. Though actual Lutherans are not always very faithful to their own writings they are very careful in reforming only what needed reform in accordance with Scripture. See www.bookofconcord.org or

www.wittenbergtrail.com

John, Greeley, USA

As a Lutheran clergyman, I'm hardly a defender of papal infallibility. In fairness, however, it should be pointed out that if Pope Benedict says that Pope Leo was misinformed about Luther's views or even misinterpreted them, papal infallibility is not called into question thereby.

Robert Waters, Des Moines, Iowa

What's the big deal? The reformation didn't really reform anything except produce another denomination and all the subsequent sub-denominations. The Protestant church still believes much of what the Catholic church espouses regardless of what the Bible teaches. Both denominations represent "Mystery Babylon" and their members are currently, for the most part, deceived. Both still believe in many of the Christian hoax's and heresies that still plague Christianity e.g. The doctrines of: hell, eternal punishment, tithing, the immortality of the soul, Christmas, Easter, All Saint's Day, Free Will, etc. the apostles knew nor taught any off these unscriptural ideas.

David Latham, Madison, USA/Alabama

All religions would be a great deal more tolerable if they left God out of it!

Robbie Rohan, Great Chart, Kent, UK

It is something of an over-simplification to suggest that Luther made the Bible "accessible to ordinary people by translating it into the vernacular". At the time of Luther, literacy was still the privilege of the upper classes, and there was no difference, as far as congregations were concerned, between a printed translation and a written translation of the Biblical text on which a given sermon was based. For those who could afford both private education and books, the vernacular translation was undoubtedly a great step forward. But were they really "ordinary people"?

Edmund Burke, Kingston upon Thames, England

If Hindus are so tolerant of other religions, why are they dragging Christians out of their churcges in India and killing them? See WND articles.

J,D. Turner, BR, LA/USA

Martin Luther was indeed trying to purge the Roman church of corrupt practices, I hope the Pope will denounce these falsehoods too, as they still go on today. Namely praying to saints and venerating Mary. Confession to priests, instead of God through Jesus Christ, as He alone died for us and He alone can forgive sins. Papal infallibility. Indulgences [they still are sold for entrance into Heaven.] So the more money you have, the more chance you have of getting there. Lets see if the present Pope will acknowledge that Martin Luther was right in these areas also, according to the Bible, and of course the main thing that God showed him was that we are SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH ALONE.

Mrs M.Elward, Bridgend, Glam

The Pope doesn't care so much about his image, politicians and journalists do, but the Pope is not driven by the efforts to be praised and popular. It's a deep and generous challenge.

J.Cardona, Exeter, Devon

Corbett Coburn,

get your facts right before you flame the Church. Papal infallibility applyes ONLY to doctrine. That was not the case regarding Luther!!!

Peter, New York, USA

Will he also retract the Council of Trent? Will he admit that the church is built upon the bedrock of Peter's confession - that Christ is the son of yhe living God- and is not built upon Peter ? Will he ermbrace sola scriptura, sola fidde, sola gratia?

let us pray that he will

john, winston-salem, NC USA

"God's only excuse is that he does not exist." -- Stendahl

Humanist that I am, I've no interest in either splitters or lumpers.

It never ceases to amaze that otherwise apparently sane individuals cannot do without a myth -- one believed in. And, if you won’t share my myth, I’ll . . . [fill in with impotent threats, social ostracism, or execution depending on brute force available].

Ten times rather Inanna be real than any figure drawn from the big-4 near eastern monotheisms.

bipolar2

bipolar2, Ur,

500 years before they admit the truth ... I will have more time for Galileo and Luther,not to mention Hugh Latimer,Nicholas Ridley and thousands of others...
"Play the man Ridley this day we shall light a candle in England that will never be put out".


That candle still burns today...

Hugh E Torrance, London, England

As a former Lutheran, I still have a problem with Martin Luther's "solution" to our Jewish brothers and sisters. And, to this day, the Catholic Church still has not recognized the State of Israel. So, to me, anything the Pope says about Martin Lutheran is a non-issue. I do heartily echo Jimbo's comment above about "reading the Word". No matter all the denominations, all the interpretatons, bottom line-the Holy Spirit will give you all the wisdom you desire. Read the Bible yourself!!! Make notes in it, highlight those scriptures important to you, educate yourself!!!!!

Julia R, Oklahoma City, OK/USA

Well here is another approach to Luther, the Reformation, printing and the Islamic world. A video presentation at www.intermentary.com/renaissance-computer. Donn

Donn, Novato, CA

You've embarrassed yourself Murph. The Queen of England is only the head of the Church of England.

Jamie, Worthing, West Sussex

Yet another example of why no reasonable person can believe in the infallibility of the Pope -- in any matter. Either it was right to excommunicate Luther or not. If it was right, then it is wrong to "rehabilitate" him and the current Pope isn't infallible. If it was wrong, then the other Pope was not infallible. Nor can Catholics weasel out of it by claiming that excommnication isn't a matter of religion -- it clearly IS.

Corbett Coburn, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA

My question is, why do christians have many demonitions, if you all believe in Jesus as the savior and god?

Because:
We Hindu's do not have a central temple or leader since Hindu's everywhere intrepret the religion a little differently but we all allow each other to practice the way they prefer because all believe in the same thing in the end.

Just like all religion believe in the same "GOD" but give it different names and different forms. That's is why the BUDDHA preached tolerance of different religions and that is why HINDUISM does not convert people, if you believe you believe.

Unity is more important than the differences we share and the differents are in words and names not in spirituality.

Naleen, Northern California,

Just another capitulation - in words only - by the RCC. It pays lip service to all other denominations to bring them back to the RCC and then NEVER changes it's outlook that the Popish church is the ONLY way to salvation.

Salvation is from true repentance and submission to Christ Jesus. Period.

No amount of jumping through Romish rules and praying "Hail Mary" is going to change God's salvation plan. How does the RCC now view Wesley (burned at the stake) and Wycliff (bones dug up and then burned and then strewn over land and water)???

The RCC could just never catch Luther. He lived in hiding for several years after his appearance before the church questioners.

READ THE BIBLE

Jimbo, Concord, CA, USA

Luther didn't split the "Church" if you mean Christianity. There were Christians in the mountains and other places that were being hunted down by the Pope to be given the Islamic choice, recant and accept Rome as the True Church or Die. Normally the Dominicans were sent in to kill every man, woman and child in these vilages and burned their Bibles.

You see, they did not accept the "Pope" as head of the Church, only Christ was and is the head of the Church. Martin Luther did want to cleanse the Roman Church of it's paganness but failed.
A Christian,

Ralph Zecco, Socorro, NM/USA

Who said political expediency and religious dogma are incompatible? Its all about finding the right words, really.
What next in the "We're less dogmatic than them?" campaign to be compared favourably with the equally inflexible Islamic fundamentalists? A blanket apology for all the burnings at the stake?
Fortunately, those with greater faith and less religion know that the bishop of rome is just another politician, and an unelected one at that.

KR, Stockport,

Maybe Luther did not want to split the church -- but God did! And He did His usual bang-up job.

Dennis, Farmington, New Mexico

"...and made it accessible to ordinary people by translating it into the vernacular."
How about a little historical accuracy here! The Gutenberg bible was printed at least 50 years before Luthers bible and was allowed by the Catholic Church. The Gutenberg bible was a German translation printed in Germany! A vernacular bible before Luther!
Other translations were allowed before Luther's bible so the bible was accessible to people before Luther's translation.
The Gutenberg bible was allowed by the church because of its accuracy to the Word. Martin Luther's bible was condemned because of its inaccuracy and his inserting the word alone in Romans 3:28 to make his doctrine become "biblical."

Paul, Asheville, NC/USA

The world has a lot to learn from Martin Luther, unlike what some suggest here. Brighton has to say. Dr. Luther lived in a coarse but vibrant time. Luther's flaws, such as his blunt and manner of speaking, and his regrettable anti-Semitism, are not the issue.

Jesus Christ is the issue. Luther pointed out that only by faith in Christ as Lord and Savior are humans saved by the grace of God. As a good Augustinian, he also noted that no human deserves the grace of God; it is an umerited gift of God. The only merit we have is that of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man.

Do we choose to be ruled by the love of Christ in response for the great gift He gave, or do we choose to go off on our own and try to pretend the God revealed through nature and our conscience doesn't exist?

Luther's personal merits are subsumed by the only perfect merit, that of Christ's. Both Catholics and Protestants can agree - follow Him first.

Gregory Baker, Odenton, Maryland, USA

A great step towards the unity of the church, the one church mentioned in the Bible. We mayy have minor differences but we should not condemn each other. Let's look at the things that unite the church and not the opposite. Why don't we start by unifying the dates of our holy days (Christmas and Easter) as a step forward?

Nabil, Cairo, Egypt

Change happens.
At the early 50's other boys sometimes asked me if Devil was actually hiden behind the door of a Protestant church.
These are memories of a medium-high class boy living in Sao Paulo (Brazi), then a 2 million city in a 90% Catholic country.

Lindolfo R. Anders, Sao Paulo - SP, Brazil

So this is news? I'm old, but when I was a kid 50 years ago I was taught by the nuns that Luther didn't intend to split off from the church but rather to reform it. It was the German princes who used Luther's movement to politcally get out from under the Vatican's thumb.

Jack, Pittsburgh,

Funny really Reece ... you have the Queen of Eng as head of your Church and Catholics are discriminated against in law in the UK. William can marry a Muslim if he wants but not a Catholic girl. That doesent seem to bother you! So as a British Catholic I couldnt care less about what the Queenie has to say about relagion...what she has to say about the Christian values of love and respect we know well ....given her performance following the deatn of Princess Diana...

Murph, Copenhagen,

GREAT THAT THE pope has come out at last to recognise the great imput Martin Luther has had on Christianity..Maybe the next step is canonization.
Helen of Adelaide Australia

Helen Stevens, adelaide, Sth Australia

Another fallible Pope! [Leo X]

margie, victoria, australia

Where does the Times get this sort of nonsense from? Anybody who knows a thing about the Luther-Catholic conflict knows there is no way that the pope will say that Luther was not a heretic. This is the usual Times religion section hype.

As for saying that "he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices", well, <i>of course</i> Catholics don't think his intention was to split Christianity. That's hardly a concession.

J Anes, Cambridge,

If it has taken the Church this long to recognise the truth of what Luther said about the corrupt practices of the time, what hope can there be that the Church will ever recognise the falsity of so many of its central dogmas? Infallibility of the pope when speaking ex cathedra?
Unfortunately the corruption continues to this day. Look at the covering up of paedophilic activity which still persists.
Jesus would certainly not recognise what passes for his teaching which emanates from the truly flawed prelates in Rome and elsewhere.

Bill Q, Derby,

As a protestant I couldn't care what the pope says about Luther or Christianity for that matter. Luther did more for Christianity than all the Pope's added together. The Pope's true feelings are expressed in the suggestion that non-cathloics are defective Christians, no matter the spin now he is tarnished.

Reece, Melb , Aust

Interesting!
As a committed Catholic may I ask if the Catholic Church is striving to tell the truth, or engaged in a plan " to soften Pope Benedict's image as an arch conservative hardliner " ?

Which is it, striving to get at and promote the truth, or a public relation exercise in image softening, whatever that is?

Francis O'Hara

Francis O'Hara, Nice, France

As a cradle (and practicing) Lutheran, I am delighted that the Bishop of Rome has come to realize that Luther wanted only to reform the Church. It also should be noted that the German-born Pope (when Cardinal) signed the Joint declaration on Justification, as the Roman Catholic church's representative. This is perhaps a positive sign for continued relations between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. The Bishop of Rome would find many, many similarities between the two churches -- and a few differences too ... The Bishop might also want to adopt Luther's statement - "Sin boldly, but love God more boldly still."

Marlene Koenig, Alexandria, VA 22310

Is this the same Martin Luther who wrote: "If [women] become tired or even die, that does not matter. Let them die in childbirth - that is why they are there."?

[via Ellerbe, H, The dark side of christian history]

I would suggest the world has little to learn from the likes of Luther.

Derek Smith, Brighton, UK