Italian Bishops’ Newspaper: Luther a Foreshadow of Francis
As a matter of fact, Luther defended polygamy. The December 13 article is written by a certain Luciano Moia. He recalls the 500 anniversary in 2025 of the marriage between the Augustinian monk Luther and Katharina von Bora, a former nun.
Moia bases his article on a certain Don Francesco Pesce, a professor of pastoral theology and director of the Family Center in Treviso, who wrote: "The post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia presents numerous elements that seem to open up the possibility of structuring a dialogue with what emerged on marriage by and for Luther".
Moia and Pesce argue that both, Luther and Amoris Laetitia refer to a "gradualness of marriage" and say that there are limits, imperfections and sins present in a marriage.
Stefano Fontana responds on LaNuovaBq.it: "Marriage cannot be 'gradual', marriage is not a process. It is a reality. The two are one flesh in a definitive way and not dependent on their existential development."
And, "Moia and Pesce are right to say that the gradualness of marriage is present in both Luther and Amoris laetitia, but this is a major problem."
In Moia's article, marriage is rethought as an "ideal" rather than as a reality that constitutes the spouses as such: "In the face of marriage as an ideal, sin [adultery] changes its meaning and becomes a weakness experienced along the way."
Stefano Fontana: "We are in the presence of a revolution in sacramental and moral theology, which is also contained in Amoris laetitia."
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