LETTERS: LUTHER WOULD SIGN JOING DECLARATION

To the editor:

The Lutheran-Roman Catholic accord -- a reflection. Late in 1999, a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification was signed by Lutherans and the Roman Catholic Church. After perusing the document, it seems that Luther himself could have signed it. It was a development that he probably yearned for. It was fully his intention that the whole church of Christendom was indeed a forum for dialogue on doctrines emanating from Scripture.

One must remember that the church through those early centuries was not one great monolith of thought. History documents that various theologians and thinkers in the church advanced treatises and opinions on virtually every theological premise without breaking the church into little pieces. It was the circumstances of the time that set the stage for the impasse that occurred. The Roman Catholic Church had effective civil authority through political association because of the blend of church and state resulting from the monarchical and aristocratic structure of the time. Luther benefited from the same structure as he was shielded from capture. Without taking these into consideration, I could well imagine Luther reflecting today, "What took us over four centuries to do what we begged for then?"

Admittedly, the chore is not finished. It will probably not be finished this side of heaven. It's a new day. As never before, people of Christendom may move forward hand in hand, working toward implementing Christ's high priestly prayer that "they may all be one."

GILBERT DEGENHARDT

Cape Girardeau