bavarikon4UDescription
In the work, published 1520, "Von dem Papsttum zu Rom" (On the Papacy in Rome) Luther conceived an alternative concept to the condition of the Catholic Church. He presented this concept in the form of a theoretical contemplation termed ecclesiology. He wrote the text in reaction to the theses of the Leipzig Franciscan Augustin von Alveldt (d. c.1535). Alveldt had opposed Luther's view of the papacy, in accordance to which the papal claim to supremacy cannot be not founded on divine justice. Alveldt thought to be able to prove exactly this claim on the basis of Holy Scripture. Whoever would not acknowledge this divinely ordained claim must be called a heretic. In addition, for Alveldt the authority of the papacy is closely connected to the unity of the Church. In his response, Luther denied once more the papal claim but did not turn against the idea of unity. He put the term of fellowship at the forefront of his line of argument and differentiated between the spiritual, hidden and the physical, outer fellowship. The unity of the Church, therefore, could exclusively be in relation to the spiritual fellowship and, for this reason, only Christ could be its head. This text is a further important testimonial of Luther's fundamental breakup with the Catholic official church. Datum: 2016
Author
Matthias Bader