LUTHERAN: “He Was My Pope, Too!”

In Christianity Today, Lutheran writer Uwe Siemon-Netto writes:

For the last quarter of a century, this non-Catholic has had a pope. Now that John Paul II is gone, I am even more of an orphan than the Christians in the Roman church. For they will surely have another pope, but that one may not be mine, since I haven’t converted.

I am sure I am reflecting the views of many Protestants. Who else but John Paul II gave voice to my faith and my values in 130 countries? Who else posited personal holiness and theological clarity against postmodern self-deception and egotism? Who else preached the gospel as tirelessly as this man?

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Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

9 thoughts on “LUTHERAN: “He Was My Pope, Too!””

  1. John Paul II refused to be confined to the role of global pastor of Catholics. He was the father of the Christian world and he knew it, and he knew how to act like it. He was both a true icon and living source of unity among even divided Christians in a world of schism. I suspect that this tribute expresses how many of our separated brethren are feeling at this hour.

  2. To me, as a Lutheran, I have some doubts about this. When did the pope unambigously tell non-Christians that they were lost and headed to hell without Jesus?
    The pope did some good things, but let’s not get carried away.

  4. Jonathan,
    JP II didn’t write Dominus Iesus. In any event, it is somewhat ambigous as Tom Woods points out in his book on Vatican II.
    I’m sure more people read about Assisi or saw pictures of the pope kissing the Koran than read DI.
    Let’s praise JP II for his good qualities, but realize no one should be called “the great” without the passage of years and reflection.

  6. hear that russeling sound? that’s martin luther rolling in his grave.

    I suspect that nearly a quarter millennium of Lutheran history has given Luther a lot more cause for rolling in his grave than this modest essay. Much of Lutheranism today would be in many ways theologically more alien to Luther than John Paul II would be. Even without adjusting for the correction of Luther’s theological views in the afterlife 🙂 , it’s easy to imagine Luther having more sympathy with this essay than with any scandalized reaction to it.

  7. As a Lutheran I can tell you that it is dangerous to listen to Luther’s russlings in his grave – and for goodness sakes whatever you do, do not talk to him!!!!

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