Catholic doctrine misrepresented

This letter is being republished to correct an error introduced during the editing process. — David D. Haynes, editorial page editor

Don Behm’s report that “Wisconsin Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran bishops to commemorate 500th anniversary of Reformation” has a few errors about what the Catholic Church has always taught; I will address two (Oct. 29).

Behm says, “Where historic Catholic teachings held that someone could attain salvation through deeds, Luther believed that salvation came freely to those who accepted God’s grace through faith.” The Catholic Church has always believed that we are justified (saved) by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

However, we are obligated to cooperate with the grace of the Holy Spirit, resulting in good deeds, or “good works,” lest we might lose our salvation. Or, as James 2:24 says, “a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Nowhere else in scripture does “faith alone” appear. Logically then, one who believes in

sola scriptura must discard sola fide.

Regarding the Eucharist, contrary to what Behm wrote, the Catholic Church has always taught that the consecrated bread is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ and the consecrated wine is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, and they remain so after the time and place of the celebration of the Eucharist.

In a recent interview, emeritus Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, formerly of Milwaukee, explained how in the last 500 years Christianity was shattered: “There is a current estimate, which I think is a good one, which claims that there are more than 30,000 various Protestant religions, churches, denominations, sects and cults in our world today ... (which) basically agree only on one thing, namely, that they are not Catholic…” A. P. Szews, President Milwaukee Chapter Catholics United for the Faith Milwaukee