Lutheranism

A CATHOLIC CONFESSION CALLED LUTHERANISM

INTRODUCTION
In this article you will find some basic theological issues about the confession, faith, spirituality and pastoral practices in
the catholic confessional movement called Lutheranism. The main purpose is to affirm our confessional catholicity from
a Latino perspective.

CATHOLIC TRINITARIAN IDENTITY
The catholicity of our church is based on the Trinitarian statements of the early church councils. Therefore we believe
and affirm the three ancient creeds of the Church: Apostles, Nicene and Athanasian. The Apostles Creed states: 'I
believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church', the Nicene Creed state 'We believe in one holy catholic and
apostolic Church', and the Athanasian Creed expand 'Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic
faith …Now this is the catholic faith: We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity,..' and end in this way 'This is
the catholic faith. One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully' (LBW page 55, 84,85.)

The Trinitarian affirmation gives the catholic identity to the Church. The Church is God's work of Grace, it belongs to
God. God called the Church from every tribe and race. The Church is called 'the body of Christ' For that reason the
Church does not belong to a particular bishop, nationality, locality or ethnic group. The Church is the one from whom
Jesus Christ gives his life, to make it holy and catholic for its universal appeal and apostolic for its fidelity to the
message received of Jesus Christ life, death, resurrection and ascension.

Are we catholics? "Yes. Lutherans are catholics, but not part of the denomination called 'Roman Catholic', which many
people simply refer to'The Catholic Church'. The word 'catholic' comes from two Greek words: 'kata', meaning
'throughout' or 'according to'; and 'holos', which means 'the whole'. It is often defined as meaning 'universal'." (About
being Lutheran, First Edition, 1991)

"As can be seen, there is nothing here that depart from the Scriptures or the catholic church or the church of Rome, in
so far as the ancient church is known to us from its writers." (The Augsburg Confession, Article XXI, The Book of
Concord, page 47) Thus, within our confession of Faith, we are made one with church catholic, and proudly proclaim
our identity as participants in the 'one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church" (About being Lutheran, First Edition, 1991)

For that reason Lutherans confess and affirm that we are catholics. We are not a sect, nor another denomination, or
faith, but members of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.

THE SACRAMENTS
Our church bases its public spiritual life around the celebration of Word and Sacrament. The sacraments are "rites
based upon God's commandment and to whom it is added a promise of grace." (Apology of the Augsburg Confession,
article XIII, # 3). In other words, the sacraments are both a commandment and a blessing, which make us participants
in the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
According to our confessions "The genuine sacraments, therefore, are Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and absolution
(which is the sacrament of penitence), for these rites have the commandment of God and the promise of grace, which
is the heart of the New Testament. When we are baptized, when we eat the Lord's body, when we are absolved, our
hearts should firmly believe that God really forgives us for Christ's sake." (Apology of the Augsburg Confession, article
XIII, The Book of Concord, page 211)

We also recognize that there are other historical rites instituted by the church, which some Christian also call
sacraments. There have been used by the church to help the people in their spiritual and Christian growth. These
historical rites are currently celebrated among us: Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Ordination, and Holy Matrimony.

"It is taught among us that the sacraments were instituted not only to be signs by which people might be identified
outwardly as Christians, but that they are signs and testimonies of god's will toward us for the purpose of awakening
and strengthening our faith. For this reason they require faith, and they are rightly used when they are received in faith
and for the purpose of strengthening faith." (Augsburg Confession, article XIII, The Book of Concord, page 35-36).

ABOUT THE HOLY MASS
Regarding the Holy Mass we adhere to the Augsburg Confession in its XXIV chapter.
"Without boasting, it is manifest that the Mass is observed among us with greater devotion and more earnestness that
among our opponents. Moreover, the people are instructed often and with great diligence concerning the holy
sacrament, why it was instituted, and how it is to be used (namely, as a comfort for terrified consciences) in order that
the people may be drawn to the Communion and Mass." (Book of Concord, page 56 )
"The Holy Mass is the true worship of God and the source of life of the Church. The term "Mass" is retained as well as
other ancient liturgical rites." Besides, in our worship book in Spanish "Libro de Liturgia y Cántico" it is expressed that
our main liturgy of Holy Communion may be called La Santa Misa or Holy Mass, according to the Augsburg Confession
article XXIV. (Libro de Liturgia y Cántico, page 52)

THE LEADERSHIP OF WOMEN
Our church has respected women leadership as lay leaders and ordained pastors for over 20 years and will continue to
respect their rights and valuing the gifts that women bring as they serve our church.
We declare and affirm that our church trains and looks for places to serve for women who are called by God, and that
are acknowledged and supported by their local parishes. These leaders must affirm, proclaim, and preach according to
our confessions of faith, respecting our catholicity in tradition and practice.

DEVOTION TO THE VIRGIN MARY
We understand clearly the difference between "worship", which we only give to our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, and "reverence" which is when we hold in high regard our saints, in admiration, and as examples of faith worthy
to follow. Hence we rightly revere and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. Martin Luther himself wrote:
"…images for memorial and witness, such as crucifixes and images of saints are to be tolerated. …and they are not only
to be tolerated, but for the sake of the memorial and witness they are praiseworthy and honorable." (Luther's Works,
volume 40, page 91)
Our confessions refer to Mary as "The Blessed Virgin", "worthy of highest honors", "ever-virgin," as a living member of
the church triumphant praying for the church militant, and rightly called "Theotokos", Mother of God.
There are particular artistic cultural expressions of the Virgin Mary among Latinos that may be accepted as important.
Without entering in the stories behind them, the artistic, spiritual, and incarnational expressions of Mary such as the
Virgins of Guadalupe, Caridad, Coromoto, Altagracia, San Juan del Valle, and others are indigenous symbols, which can
reinforce and express our Latino spirituality. All these expressions point to Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of God and our
mother. As Luther said, a person "may boast of such treasure as that Mary is his real mother, Christ his brother, and
God his father….By this token you sit assuredly in the Virgin Mary's lap and are her dear child" (Barbara Owen, "Luther
on Mary," The Lutheran, December 1997). Such intimacy is a characteristic of Latino spirituality.

THE SAINTS
"Saint" is a word derived from Latin 'Sanctus' which means holy. Therefore saints are holy people chosen by God and
separated for a divine purpose. In a broader sense all Christians are saints because all Christians have been chosen by
God, marked with the Cross of Christ in Holy Baptism, and separated to be witnesses before the world of the grace of
God. In a narrower way, saints are Christians whom the church has designated as models and examples of Christian
living, more notably, the apostles." (About being Lutheran, First Edition, 1991.)

The Augsburg Confession says: "About the cult to the saints it is taught among us that we are to keep the memory of
the of the saints to strengthen our faith as we see how they received the grace and how they were helped through
faith." (Augsburg Confession, article XXI)

Saints are concrete examples of divine grace working in human beings; examples that we do well to imitate remember
and keep in devotion. Hence, we celebrate and remember the lesser festivals and commemorations of the saints, for
example, the day when they died, the day they were martyred, or the day they entered everlasting life.

ABOUT THE TITLE OF FATHER
We accept to be called Father, Mother, Pastor, Priest, Minister, and Reverend indistinctly. We understand such titles as a
form of respect and acceptance among our church to the holy vocation of the ordained ministry of Word and
Sacrament. The people of God have used the titles Father and Mother, since times of the Old Testament, the New
Testament, the Patristic Era and the Confessional documents of the XVI Century. In our church the terms Father and
Mother have been used to refer to one who engenders through the proclamation of the Gospel, and this role is not
determined by gender, having factual evidence of ordained women, called Mothers, especially in the Scandinavian and
Anglican churches. On the other hand, the Fourth Commandment of Luther's Large Catechism says: "For the name
spiritual father belongs only to those who govern and guide us by the Word of God. St Paul boasts that he is a father in
I Cor. 4:15, when he says, "I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel." Since such persons are fathers,
they are entitled to honor, even above all others. (Book of Concord, page 387) Martin Luther himself is mentioned as
"Father Luther" in the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article VII about Holy Communion. (Book of Concord,
page 580)

MARRIAGE, VIRGINITY, AND CELIBACY
God has gifted human beings with a rich blessing: love. It is in the unity of Holy Matrimony that we may experience
genuine love in holiness. It is base of human family.
Neither virginity nor marriage gives us any merits of justice before God; we are only justified through the sake of
Christ. Neither Christ nor St. Paul recommend virginity because there is some merit or virtue in it worthy of any
justification before God. They may recommend it because being virgin a person has more time for prayer, holy
teaching and service, without the distractions of the duties of a daily family life.
Marriage is most recommended for all, since the majority of people do not have the gift of continence. It must not be
forced upon anybody, especially those that can be continent. Likewise, we believe that celibacy or continence should
not be forced upon any one, neither should holy matrimony be abolished for someone who fells the call to the holy
ministry.
Our church accepts as members any person who confesses Jesus as their Lord, independently of his or her marital
status. We promote and affirm holy matrimony as the best relation for our members, and our clergy; and we affirm
that virginity, or continence is the best status for those not married.

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MARIAN DEVOTION AMONG LATINO LUTHERANS
Rev. Pedro M. Suárez

For many Lutherans to revere the Blessed Virgin Mary is of very little importance when it comes to the development of
their faith. Marian devotion and displays of her image is almost non-existent in the majority of Lutheran churches.
Some may be afraid of encouraging an idolatry practice by the abuses of many in the past, but have given very little
effort in the right teachings of honoring the saints and the woman who was called "blessed among all women."
However, when asked, we say that we hold her in high esteem. Therefore, we may say that as Lutherans, we all love
the Virgin Mary, but it is also true that we differ in our devotion, understanding this, as closeness, identification with,
and ways of expressing our love. As Latino Lutherans, we should understand that our faith in Jesus Christ does not
require an abandonment of our common roots to become Nordic Europeans in the name of the Gospel.1 Due to a
suffered history, Latin American people had gone through a journey where many things have been taken away from
them, only some aspects of the indigenous religion give a sense of identity. Mary represents more than just the mother
of Jesus, and many Latinos see in her more than mere traces of Roman Catholicism, but a whole cultural experience of
faith and hope, independently of their religious denominational upbringing.

How then do Latino Lutherans see the Virgin Mary? Well, we also differ from congregation to congregation as the rest of
Lutherans around the world. But let's look at our confessional writings for a moment. The Book of Concord speaks
highly of the Virgin Mary in spite of the fact that some reformers sought to correct many abuses within the Roman
church, but it was never the intention to wipe her out of our faith practices. She is referred to as "the Blessed Virgin"
and "worthy of highest honors" in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession. The Virgin Mary is understood to be a living
member of the church triumphant praying for the church militant, and rightly called "Theotokos," Mother of God.

Martin Luther in several of his writings speaks highly of her, and personally had a close devotion to the Virgin. He says
that she is the "highest woman and noblest gem in Christianity after Christ". Luther revered the Virgin Mary and
considered her the Mother of the Church, our Mother.

This is the great joy, of which the angel [of the Lord (Luke 2:9-12)] speaks, this is the consolation and the
superabundant goodness of God, that man (if he has this faith) may boast of such treasure as that Mary is his real
mother, Christ his brother, and God his Father. For these things are, all of them, true and they come to pass, provided
we believe them.2

Just in recent years Lutherans have understood the process in which the Roman Catholic church has gone through. In
the ecumenical dialogues we see how spirituality does not have to be homogenized.

We have learned that Roman Catholics made a serious distinction between worship (Latria, for God) and veneration
(dulia, for saints: hyperdulia, for Mary) and that they have a long tradition of fighting against abuses in worship and
piety. (Cf. CS §§6, 82,171,174,185,204,209,214, as well as the Catholic Reflections.) We have also learned in this
dialogue how incorrect it is for Lutherans to disdain Roman Catholic piety regarding the saints and Mary and simply
condemn it as idolatry. (Cf, CS §§ 101,104.1;SA 2:3:26; BS425; BC297.)
(4) It is just as incorrect, on the other hand, to disdain Lutheran worship and piety because it is said to lack elements
found in another style of spirituality.3

As Lutherans we understand the difference between "worship", which we only will give to our triune God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, and "reverence" which is when we hold in high regard our saints, in admiration, and as example of faith
worthy to follow. Hence, we rightly revere Our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary.

THE USE OF IMAGES IN THE LUTHERAN TRADITION

Martin Luther was opposed to the abuses of some Roman Catholics who went too far and indeed were "worshipping"
images. In his writings about Church and Ministry II, Luther makes an extensive study about how images were used in
the Old Testament times in worship places and how God even gave instructions on how to build them, but making a
clear distinction how God is opposed to anything that comes between God and God's people. Nevertheless, the use of
images of our own Christian faith to decorate, remember, and teach, is to be respected and may be displayed.

…images for memorial and witness, such as crucifixes and images of saints, are to be tolerated. This is shown above to
be the case even in the Mosaic Law. And they are not only to be tolerated, but for the sake of the memorial and the
witness they are praiseworthy and honorable, as the witness stones of Joshua [Josh. 24:26] and of Samuel _I Sam. 7
[:12].4

In the Latino culture, images are very useful in the teaching process. As Lutherans, we have a long way ahead as we
teach our parishioners about our confessional understandings, but incorporating elements of the popular religion is a
sign of respect and inclusiveness.

APPARITIONS OF THE VIRGIN MARY…THEOPHANIES?

Perhaps there is not much conflict among us when we display an image of the Good Shepherd, and Apostle, or the Holy
Family, but how about those of "Apparitions of the Virgin"? Is that Lutheran? There is enough evidence of apparitions,
or divine revelation through out the Old and New Testament. God sent messages to God's people in a burning bush, the
wind, angels, dreams, and many other ways. These revelations are called theophanies. It is harder to test each
spiritual manifestation in our post biblical era, but they continue to happen. In many cases these are part of popular
religiosity or like some others call it "folk religion". We Lutherans preach a personal relationship with God; consequently
we should accept experiences of "private revelation". Certainly we do not encourage those experiences but we should
be careful in rejecting them all together. There are some particular apparitions that for the Latino people are very
important. It is not the intention here to speak about the veracity of the events nor it's message, but to analyze the
impact on our history due to these events.

OUR LADY SAINT MARY OF GUADALUPE

Dr. Alberto Pereyra, a Lutheran Theology Professor, considers The Virgin of Guadalupe the greatest spiritual symbol in
Central America, Mexico, and the Southwest of the U.S.A.5 And Carlos Fuentes describes the presence of the Lady of
Tepeyac [another name for the Guadalupe] as one of the masterpieces of Indian spirituality and syncretism.6

Guadalupe has her spiritual counterparts in La Caridad del Cobre in Cuba, the Virgen de Coromoto in Venezuela, the
Virgen de Altagracia in Dominican Republic, the Virgen del Valle in Argentina. The Indians accepted those symbols to
protect their own spirituality.7

All of these revelations point to Mary of Nazareth, Our Mother, and Mother of God. The trouble some Lutherans may
encounter is in the message given according to some of the legends, especially when those messages ask the believers
to plea to the Virgin for healing, protection or to grant a miracle. As Christians we believe that only God and God alone
can heal, protect and work miracles, not the saints. For quiet a while there has been discussions on the authenticity of
the legends. Meanwhile the icons or images have been accepted as Christian symbols because they represent Mary of
Nazareth. We do not have to accept every detail of a legend that has been questioned, but we should carefully see the
benefits in Latin American history due to those events. Virgilio Elizondo talking about the Guadalupe puts it very clear
as he says:

The real miracle was not the apparition but what happened to the defeated Indian. In the person of Juan Diego was
represented the Indian nations defeated and slaughtered, but now brought to life. They who had been robbed of their
lands and of their way of life and even of their gods were now coming to life. They who had been silenced were now
speaking again through the voice of the Lady. They who wanted only to die now wanted to live.8

All we are doing as Latino Lutheran is re-visiting the Guadalupe with a different perspective, one of cultural acceptance.
Guadalupe is not necessary a Roman Catholic event; it is a gift of the Providence for the Mexican people and to the rest
of Latin America. With the understanding that within the Latino Lutherans there is not one homogeneous way of living
our spirituality, there must also be an acceptance with respect of the different ways in which each congregation shows
and carries on their own piety. Therefore, not all Lutheran Latino churches will display the Guadalupe, but we accept
those who have done the re-visiting of the Guadalupe to strengthen the faith and identity of a people in their journey.
Since the Mexican independence with Father Miguel Hidalgo, Guadalupe has been a symbol of the people's identity even
against the Roman Catholic imperial oppression of their time. It is a refreshing view of the role of women, elevating
and dignifying them amidst a machista society. To go against the devotion of the Virgin Mary and/or her manifestation
in Guadalupe is to say that God was not and is not working among many Latinos in their struggle for an abundant life
and that there are exclusive ways for God to act among God's people. Like Alberto Pereyra said: "The challenge to
welcome, learn from, and incorporate Indian spirituality is still before us."9
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NOTES
1Virgilo Elizondo in the Foreword to Gonzalez, Justo "Mañana: A Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective,
Abingdon Press, 1990. Pg. 14
2Luther's Works, vol. 52, p 15).
3 THE ONE MEDIATOR, THE SAINTS, AND MARY Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue VIII, Ausburg Fortress, 1992. Pg.
126.
4 LUTHER'S WORKS Volume 40, Church and Ministry II, Edited by Conrad Bergendorff and Helmut T. Lehmann,
Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1958. Pg. 91.
5 Alberto Pereyra, The Virgin of Guadalupe, History, Myth, and Spirituality. Lutheran Seminary Program in the
Southwest.
6 Carlos Fuentes, The Burried Mirror, Reflections on Spain and the New World. (Boston, New York, London: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1992), Pg. 146
7 Alberto Pereyra, Ibid.
8Virgilio Elizondo, Galilean Journey, The Mexican-American Promise, Orbis Books, 1983 Pg. 11
9Alberto Paryera, Ibid.