A significação da eclesiologia de Lutero no catolicismo atual.

Abstract

The eventual unity between Catholics and Lutherans will only have any significance if there is a thorough understanding of the difficulties that existed during the time of the Reformation, both in terms of doctrinal conflicts and the interpretative context stemming from Martin Luther's activities. Academic research undertaken in recent decades has provided a clearer picture of his thinking, which has facilitated the consensus reached in the official dialogues between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation. Among the issues that remain open in this dialogue are those related to the nature and properties of the Church (fundamental ecclesiology). This research aimed to identify points of convergence between Luther's ecclesiological thought and the fundamental Catholic ecclesiology in the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium and the decree Unitatis Redintegratio of the Second Vatican Council, with the goal of contributing to advancing official ecumenical dialogue on the subject. To accomplish this, the sacramental nature of the Church proposed by the Council was analyzed through the concepts of sacramentum tantum, res et sacramentum, and res tantum from sacramental theology. Using the norms of theological interpretation, the degree of authority of that conciliar teaching was identified, as well as the limit of true Catholic theological pluralism. This limit subsequently allowed for the identification of areas of consensus between Catholic ecclesiology and Luther's. Regarding Luther's thinking, four of his major ecclesiological works were analyzed, synthesizing them into a unified whole based on his 1528 confession of faith. Eight points of consensus were identified between Catholic fundamental ecclesiology and that of Luther, some of which were not adequately addressed in official ecumenical dialogues. Building on these points, eight practical proposals were suggested to transform into a concrete reality what theological analysis achieved through reflection. It was found that the sacramental analogy regarding the nature of the Church is a non-definitive teaching of the ordinary and universal Magisterium, and it aligns with Luther's thinking in those eight points of consensus. Finally, it was observed that the analogy of the mystery of the Incarnation is more suitable than Luther's proposed analogy of the relationship between body and soul to explain how visibility and invisibility coexist in the Church. The ecumenical journey can benefit from this research, both by outlining proposals to translate the obtained consensus into practical experiences of Christian formation and living, and by serving to purify the memory of Catholic Christians regarding Luther's thought in those points of agreement.