RC's;Do you know the history of Catholicism? also from a modern perspective, was Martin Luther right ?

Question

Johann Tetzel, was a Dominican Friar 1489-1519, he was commisioned by the Pope (Alexander VI) to preach the Jubilee Indulgence (Disambiguation) in 1502 and this he did for most of his ecclesiastic career.
in 1513 Giovanni De' Medici was elected Pope (Leo X) he was quoted by Venetian writer as saying on the day of his election; "God has given us the Papacy. Now let us ENJOY it".
Leo was a very educated man and he was seen as a great scholar, but he was also very good at spending lavishly on himself and his followers. It was not long b4 he was in need of financial help, thus he called on Johann Tetzel, to bring home the bacon. Johann used the phrase; " As soon as the coin in the coffers rings, your resued soul to heaven springs" to gain monies from Kings and Princes throughout Christendom, abusing the Papal act of Indulgence. Luthers 95 theses on the subject of Papal Indulgences were the main foundation of modern Protestantism. Do you still see RC as the true religion?

Johann Tetzel died in leipzig in 1519, in disrepute and shunned by the very Papacy that had given him this task, he was not the instigater, just the pawn, but the Papacy used him as a patsy. would God let his Viceroy on earth behave in such a manner? if you are RC, why do you accept this behaviour?

grannyof5, what you say about not caring what someone did years ago, proves that you have no knowledge of your own faith. The RC church was built on lies and deceit, popes like Damasus I were elected due to the murder and torture of their opposition.
the RC is the trunk of the religious tree, the foundation of the entire Christian faith, so many branches have sprung from the tree, thus the rings inside the tree are just as important as the many leaves scattered throughout the world today.

firefly, good answer, but did you swallow that dictionary!? ha ha, thanx for your e-mail, hope you do well in your history degree!!

Answer 1

Hi Silver Tongue, what a question !!!

What really has changed, the RC still proves to be intractable as the church still finds a way to extort money from it's congregation ! You only have to look at the Vatican city it's dripping in wealth, Gold this and a solid silver Basilica, but what is it all for it's not as it once was to give financial help and bring money into the coffers, it's now used to harbor criminals and paedophiles (priests,bishops and cardinals) within it's walls for protection.

The Roman Catholic priests from experience and others comments couldn't give two flying figs about their congregation that tirelessly turns up every week generously donating to the ever depleted coffers having first been duped into believing in the consubstantiation of the Eucharist.

RC history proves there are flaws and lies within it's origin and really do most RC believers really understand the ceremony or do they like the pomp and gradeur of the whole thing. RC's are usually first to castigate other beliefs and Atheists get an even harder time! I myself have a deep antipathy to this subject and cannot show espousal for a cause that really shouldn't still exist.

i know this may come across as polemic but we all have our own perfervid views.

Answer 2

The history of Catholicism traces back to what is believed to be Peter as the first Pope of Rome. In those times, it was not only a religious force but a Strong political ally. A s the popes came don through the years so did the stark changes in the body of the church. Always male dominated, pope's once married and even took mistresses and had children. This was challenged after divorces threatened the churches wealth and residence. The Catholic church settled in its own state, principality in Vatican and laid down governing rules of people. Martin Luther challenged these rules as did Calvin and Wesley hence the start of Protestantism which sharply divided the church with both bases accusing the other as pagan and wrong. The split is in existence today and further divides people. Luther in himself was wrong as he never truly overturned that what he originally challenged of the catholic church. He more so amended the rules to fit his conscience and really just created new avenues of potential sin and hardships. No doubt both the Catholic church as well as the protestant have numerous man made rituals and traditions that are not in any form Bible based or reflect Jesus" teachings. Jesus didn't teach religion he taught the Kingdom of God and what it will do, MAN teaches religion.

Answer 3

Martin Luther also believed in Christ's presence interior the Eucharist as well as interior the Sacrament of Confession. he's given a lot extra credit than he's due. All he did replaced into plant the seed. He did not do a lot except translate the Bible into German, Sola Scriptura and Sola Feda. except that, he replaced right into a sturdy Catholic. He did not favor to leave the Church, he replaced into planning to regulate it from the interior, yet to to nationalism and different circumstances, he had to leave the Church.

Answer 4

I think the true moral of your story is that corruption cannot last. Martin Luther didn't want to start the Lutheran Church, and he didn't do it to destroy the Catholic Church. He was a very devout Catholic, but he knew this was wrong and he had to fight to save the faith.

When evil gains ground, true leaders step up. Martin Luther stepped up, and other Catholic leaders soon followed. It doesn't mean that the entire Catholic Church is built on lines, though its rarely been the rosy picture they like to portray, but protestant churches aren't immunized either, and have gone though multiple debates and splits themselves to maintain integrity.

I think what I've learned from my religious upbringing and these stories is to always be mentally strong and be a diligent active member for seeking the true. Never let someone else tell you what's right or wrong... especially when you have a dollar in your hand.

Answer 5

Sorry. Not buying it. Just because some popes were a disgrace to the chair of Peter, it means nothing. The Holy Spirit preserves the faith despite the weaknesses of men. Most Catholics understand this, and I fail to see what difference it makes to anyone else -- except that 2000 years of Church history gives them a lot of material for questions like this one.

[edit] "what you say about not caring what someone did years ago, proves that you have no knowledge of your own faith." Interesting way to put words in my mouth. Did I say I didn't care, or that I'm not aware of the history of my Church? You aren't telling me anything about church history I didn't already know, dear. Nothing is "proven" here except your own prejudice.

Answer 6

Martin Luther was very lucky to escape the burning from being a heretic just because he decided to challenge the accepted authority of the Holy Roman Church.

I must say that when the compiling of the scriptures and editing out those what were deemed at that period of time as evil, heretic and blasphemy in the eyes of only one person.

Thus leaves a lot of doubt in my mind to the authenticity of the Bible itself.

Answer 7

September 22, 2007

St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions

Lawrence (Lorenzo) was born in Manila of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, both Christians. Thus he learned Chinese and Tagalog from them and Spanish from the Dominicans whom he served as altar boy and sacristan. He became a professional calligrapher, transcribing documents in beautiful penmanship. He was a full member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary under Dominican auspices. He married and had two sons and a daughter.
His life took an abrupt turn when he was accused of murder. Nothing further is known except the statement of two Dominicans that "he was sought by the authorities on account of a homicide to which he was present or which was attributed to him."

At that time three Dominican priests, Antonio Gonzalez, Guillermo Courtet and Miguel de Aozaraza, were about to sail to Japan in spite of a violent persecution there. With them was a Japanese priest, Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz, and a layman named Lazaro, a leper. Lorenzo, having taken asylum with them, was allowed to accompany them. But only when they were at sea did he learn that they were going to Japan.

They landed at Okinawa. Lorenzo could have gone on to Formosa, but, he reported, "I decided to stay with the Fathers, because the Spaniards would hang me there." In Japan they were soon found out, arrested and taken to Nagasaki. The site of wholesale bloodshed when the atomic bomb was dropped had known tragedy before. The 50,000 Catholics who once lived there were dispersed or killed by persecution.

They were subjected to an unspeakable kind of torture: After huge quantities of water were forced down their throats, they were made to lie down. Long boards were placed on their stomachs and guards then stepped on the ends of the boards, forcing the water to spurt violently from mouth, nose and ears.

The superior, Antonio, died after some days. Both the Japanese priest and Lazaro broke under torture, which included the insertion of bamboo needles under their fingernails. But both were brought back to courage by their companions.

In Lorenzo's moment of crisis, he asked the interpreter, "I would like to know if, by apostatizing, they will spare my life." The interpreter was noncommittal, but Lorenzo, in the ensuing hours, felt his faith grow strong. He became bold, even audacious, with his interrogators.

The five were put to death by being hanged upside down in pits. Boards fitted with semicircular holes were fitted around their waists and stones put on top to increase the pressure. They were tightly bound, to slow circulation and prevent a speedy death. They were allowed to hang for three days. By that time Lorenzo and Lazaro were dead. The three Dominican priests, still alive, were beheaded.

Pope John Paul II canonized these six and 10 others, Asians and Europeans, men and women, who spread the faith in the Philippines, Formosa and Japan. Lorenzo Ruiz is the first canonized Filipino martyr.


Here are some names for you to research:

Padre Pio
Edith Stein
Maximillian Kolbe
Mother Theresa
John Paul II


I also suggest you go to the folowing site and read about some of the canonized saints of the catholic Church http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/byname.asp

Answer 8

From a modern perspective, I think Luther was right because he stressed what ist really important in christian life: the non-mediated relationship between the creature and his Creator. Because of this, he/she has to understand alone, alone with God, what is the right thing to do. And he/she must act with responsability toward God and mankind. He/she can't say "I did so because that one said me to do so."
Luther's theology has stressed, that the man/woman is free and responsible because of his/her relationship with God. In this sense, Luther is a man of the Modern Age.

Answer 9

Yes, I DO still sse it as the 'true' religion, meaning that I see it as being the only church to have the fullness of the faith.

All churches have some element of truth in them.

As far as those who abused their positions, Jesus never promised us sinless leaders. What He did promise us was that the gates of hell would not prevail against us. And they never have, nor will they ever.

Answer 10

What am I supposed to do, abandon the Church? God calls on us to account for our own sins; not those of others.Hope you can account for yours?
Greg M ,have you any idea why it is said that a good tree bears good fruit?
So the Atheist's view is to chop down the tree?And to hell with the fruits.