Today we acknowledged the 500th Anniversary of Luther's call for Reform within the Catholic (universal) church that existed. The Western Catholic church had lost its way and needed reforming. Luther deeply influenced the English Reformers. Led by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the English decided to not throw out all understanding of Christian formation but kept a foundation of Scripture, Historical order of Ministry (Bishops, Priests and Deacons), Sacraments and added Reason to form its theoretical basis of the church. The English Reformation choose a middle road for the church. It maintained its understanding and support of the early Ecumenical Councils which included the theology of the nature of Jesus-"fully human and fully Divine" which by extension indicates our nature as having the Divine reside within us.
In Europe, the Reformation went from a Catholic reformed church of Luther which kept most Catholic doctrine and order to a throw out everything church and have only the Bible as in the Calvinist and Geneva reforms. The extreme Calvinists believed and some sadly still believe and teach that Roman Catholics and all all other Catholics (Orthodox, Old Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans) are not Christian.
The Reformation was necessary as it motivated the Western Catholic Church (Roman Catholic) to address its excesses. It led to our formation and the restoration of an earlier vision of the church which included married clergy.
Today, 500 years later we always need to be critical of ourselves and make sure that we are in touch with the needs of the People of God and speak as prophets to the world.
