The Reformation Reached my Catholic Professor

Happy Reformation day! For those not in the know, today (10/31) marks the day in which the Protestant Reformation was sparked upon the occasion of Martin Luther posting his Ninety-Five Theses protesting the conduct and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Coincidentally, this day falls upon the day in which I attend class at a Catholic college through which I am completing my Gordon-Conwell studies. The experience has been interesting and in anticipation of the Reformation, I have wanted to share a brief anecdote testifying to the far reach of the Protestant Reformation.

To set the scene, I am taking a course in ethics at a prominent Catholic college (I’ll keep some details anonymous to protect the professor). Of my classmates, at least half of the class are Roman Catholic priests or members of a Catholic religious order (e.g. Society of Jesus/Jesuits). On the first day of class, the professor announced we would start every class with prayer. My first thought was, “Excellent!” until he then led the class in a prayer of “Hail Mary”. It surprised me in the moment, but it wasn’t surprising on the whole, however much such prayers are entirely inappropriate, especially from the Advent Christian perspective (i.e. sleep of the dead). However, what was truly surprising were some statements made by the professor several classes into the course. They consisted of the following:

”Martin Luther taught the Church that salvation is a gift. It is not earned.”

“The two great heresies that have always threatened the Roman Catholic Church are Pelagianism and the worship of the Church.”

This was said by a Catholic professor, in a Catholic college, before a class full of Catholic priests and Jesuits! I was truly shocked. The same words could have been said by any thoroughgoing Reformed Theology professor. While this is admittedly anecdotal, I couldn’t help but be encouraged to see that the work that Martin Luther began so long ago continues on into today and that the Roman Catholic Church has not been impervious to the influence of the Protestant Reformation. It sparks hope in my heart that perhaps one day, the Roman Catholic Church will officially reform. Until then, it is encouraging to know that even now, sprouting Catholic religious leaders are receiving this sort of teaching and that this may be passed down to the people in Catholic pews.

The work of Reformation carries on!