The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-12-04
Iartin Luther Film More Fancy Than Fact Records Prove

from among the princes will plead his
cause Luther remarks: ''Shall put my faith
in princess" That's all. II is a rhetorical
question which, from the infection of Luz
ther's voice, might demand the answer
no"
To one who knew nothing of the content
of his famous Address TO the German
Nobility this might sound convincing II
would not sound so to one who knew the
story of his actual views of relationship of
the princes to the Church. The film pre-
sumes that the viewer is hearing of these
things for the first time, and is ignorant
of Luther's doctrine of the place of secular
power in religion.
Shows Leo X Wholly Meresnary
g. Pictorially, the film presents Pope Leo
faithfully, as he appears in Raphael's fa-
nous portrait of him that hangs in Pitt
Palace Florence. His love of pleasure is not
oyerdone. Serious violation of the facts is to
be found, however in depicting Pope Leo
is interested only in money and not at all
interested in the doctrinai significance of
the Luther question. Leo X, we are to be-
lieve, didn't care what was being taught
as long as the money continued to come in.
The same caricature is drawn of Tetzel
who is angry with Luther because, my
sales have dropped off"
Was Leo X so unconcerned about the
doctrinal question? Let us look at the rec
ord of "diSinterestedness When the Luz
ther affair broke in Germany, Rome re-
quested not an audit but the doctrinal opin-
ion of the theological faculties of the uni
Versies at Cologne and Louyain.
Rome got these, plus a detailed report
from Eek on the teaching of Luther. The
Consistory met through February and
March of 1920 and discussed the matter
fully. Not in the presence of bankers and
financierS, mind you, but of theologians
and the representatives of the religious or
derS. Four meetings of the cardinals fol-
lowed. Then a smaller group, headed by
Leo X, met and drafted the Bull concern
ing Luther's teachings. II lists Al theses
where he goes contrary to Catholic teach
ing. Not interested in the doctrine involved?
What would they have done, then, if they
had been interested?
1t would help to read the Bull itself.
From its opening lines it is clear that even
sinful Rome was interested first, last, and
always that true doctrine be taught and
not perverted.
g. At Worms, Luther says: "UnleSs you
can convince me by Scripture and not by
Popes and Councils who have often con-
tradicted one another my conscience is
captive to the Word of Cod. The audience
if it had this and nothing more to go on,
could scarcely be censured for concluding
that the reason the Church was raising
such fuss with Luther was because Luther
dared appeal to the Word of Cod Wasn't
that what the film meant that people should
conclude?
Hides DoetrinsI Questions
1t points up consistent Misrepresentation
of the Luther affair. The film hides quite
we'll the true doctrinal questions.
The Church condemns Luther for heret-
ical views on the nature of man (Which he
considered to be essentially so evil that even
God could do nothing about it, original
sin, grace, free will, justification, the Sac
raments, the Mass, religious authority, and
just about everything in the Creed In a
real sense the question Of the Scriptures
is secondary, even with Luther.
He has his heretical views on many
things and can't find anyone in the Church
who will sanction his. peculiar views. AS a
last resort, it seems, he adopts the Bible,
privately interpreted dhat is, interpreted
the way he wants it as his authority.
Strangely enough, with many people this
maneuver has been taken to mean that
Luther is therefore right and infallibly right
in the use of Scripture.
Luther and fhs Bible
Actually. he was thoroughly arbitrary.
The Church could have made a fine case
against his use Of the Bible-if that were
the only point at issue. Luther was highly
arbitrary with the Bible and. far from be-
ing a model of reverence in the use of
the Bible, did with it just what he wanted
TO. II had to speak like DR.. Martin Luther.
He heaped ridicule on the Book of Eccles-
tastes, threw out the Epistle to the Hebrews,
did likewise with the EpistIe of st. James
because it so clearly contradicted his views
of the place of good works..
The film, perhaps unwittingly, documents
this arbitrariness. He is shown doctoring
up the Epistle of st. Paul to the Romans,
3rd chapter, 18th verse, to read. 'For we
account a man to be justified by faith
alone" The word sofa (alone) is inserted by
Luther, just as he inserted "only" in
Romans ILL., 20 and ", Is. When these in
sertions were pointed out to Luther by his
Catholic critics, he wrote: IF your new
Papist makes much ado about the word
alone, just say to him. DR.. Luther will
have it so, and says, Papist and ass are one
and the same thing; thus / will and an
determined to have it; my will is the rea
SON."
That would have struck a nice balance
to the picture the film presents and woulC
suggest that the Church had plenty of res
son to oppose Luther, not for appealing
to the Word of God that was nothing new
A.. L.