![]() ![]() He too believed in real presence, although he talked about a “sacramental union” between the elements and Christ’s body and held that Christ was “in, with and under” the bread and wine.īut other, more radical Protestants thought even this was too Catholic. This belief had been explained in various ways over the centuries, but the medieval understanding was the doctrine of transubstantiation, that the bread and wine of Holy Communion actually became the body and blood of Christ in the course of the Mass, even though they maintained the outward appearance of bread and wine.Īlthough he rejected the particulars of transubstantiation, Luther’s understanding was not that far removed. Catholics held to the doctrine of Christ’s “real presence” in the Eucharist. Protestants raised some concerns about the Catholic doctrine of penance, but the real issue of contention centered on the Eucharist, or Holy Communion. The negotiators then moved on to the sacraments. Somewhat to everyone’s surprise, the central doctrine of the Protestant Reformation, justification by faith, not good works, met with agreement. The Catholic delegation was led by a seasoned Vatican diplomat, Cardinal Gasparo Contarini, and Protestants were represented by Johannes Gropper, Philipp Melancthon and Martin Bucer. ![]() He convened a colloquy at Regensburg in hopes of reuniting Protestants and Catholics. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, was concerned about the advance of Muslims to the East and a divided Christianity in the West. The pivotal moment occurred in Regensburg in April 1641. Specifically, I believe that the Protestant rejection of a robust sacramental theology robbed Protestantism of a sense of mystery and set it on a path toward rationalism, which in turn helps explain why Protestantism is in decline. Others have weighed in on these matters, but I’m more interested in the plight of Protestantism as we embark on the next half-millennium. Some argue that his willingness to challenge authority structures ushered in the modern age. What is beyond dispute, however, is that Luther’s assault on the authority of the Roman Catholic Church changed the Western world. 31, 1517, an Augustinian friar named Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses to the cathedral door in Wittenberg, Germany - that’s the story, at least, though there is some question about whether or not it transpired exactly that way. Quickly came to an agreement on such doctrines as original sin, free will,Īnd even justification.By now, I suspect, everyone has recovered from the excitement of celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Recognized that this was best left until the dispatch of easier matters Pope Paul wanted the issue of his authority settled first. The talks followed an outline known as the Regensburg Book, which had been prepared in advance by Martin Bucer and John Gropper and read and revised by Cardinal Contarini. Speaking for the Protestants were Melanchthon, Bucer, and Pistorius. Negotiating for the Catholic side were Eck, Pflug, and Gropper. He declared that the differences between the two sides were too great to JohnĬalvin turned up to watch the proceedings, but he proved prophetic when Must suffer a good deal if some agreement could not be worked out. They were outnumbered in Europe and knew they The doctrine of justification were close to Luther's. Representative Cardinal Contarini, a man of pure life whose views on ![]() Pope Paul III also hoped for reconciliation. This was the fulfillment of attempts to restore ecclesiastical unity in the Holy Roman Empire with a theological debate between the Protestants and the Catholics. The Colloquy of Regensburg, also known as the Colloquy of Ratisbon, was a conference held at Regensburg (Ratisbon) in Bavaria in 1541 during the Protestant Reformation. Realized that religious differences had torn Europe apart and hadĪllowed the Turks to drive almost into Germany. In his opening statement, Charles said that he On this day, Ap, Emperor Charles VĬonvened a conference at Ratisbon (Regensburg) to discuss the reunification Rome and the Reformers "almost" got back together. ![]()
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