PRAISE FOR UNA SANCTA: WHY ARE WE SEPARATED?
CARDINAL ANDERS ARBORELIUS AND BISHOP KARIN JOHANNESSON sweden
Cardinal Anders Arborelius OCD and Bishop Karin Johannesson of Uppsala Sweden: Photo Magnus Aronson Church of Sweden
This book, written by Cormac O’Duffy, can be very helpful for all
Christians of today, so that they can be imbued by this mystery of justifica-
tion and its consequences. If we grow closer to Jesus and become more and
more transformed by his grace, we can become authentic messengers and
prophetic signs in our world of today. O’Duffy wants to show Christians of
all denominations and traditions that we have more in common than many
of us may realize. If we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us to follow Jesus
more faithfully and be justified and sanctified by his grace, we can transmit
something of his love and mercy to the secular society of today.
Anders Cardinal Arborelius
Bishop in the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm
Karin Johannesson
Bishop in the Evangelical-Lutheran diocese of Uppsala
Christians of today, so that they can be imbued by this mystery of justifica-
tion and its consequences. If we grow closer to Jesus and become more and
more transformed by his grace, we can become authentic messengers and
prophetic signs in our world of today. O’Duffy wants to show Christians of
all denominations and traditions that we have more in common than many
of us may realize. If we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us to follow Jesus
more faithfully and be justified and sanctified by his grace, we can transmit
something of his love and mercy to the secular society of today.
Anders Cardinal Arborelius
Bishop in the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm
Karin Johannesson
Bishop in the Evangelical-Lutheran diocese of Uppsala
sister elisabeth peeters ocd carmelite sister kirchzarten germany
THIS IS A BOOK that stands out in many ways. It is one of few books I would like to see in the hands of as many Christians as possible: church leaders and ministers of every denomination, and indeed every Christian who deeply cares about overcoming the rifts and divisions of the past that continue to separate us despite the huge progress that has been made...This book goes a long way towards enabling us to grow in this spirit. It is not just a passionate plea for a visible sign of unity and reconciliation to mark the 500thanniversary of the Confessio Augustana on June 25th, 2030. It also helps pave the way.
The brilliant and well-balanced analysis of the tragic events that led up to the schism in Augsburg in 1530 is the first eye-opener. As the author takes the reader along on a profoundly moving and very well-documented journey through history, it is impossible not to become aware of the full scope of a tragedy never intended by the Lutheran reform movement that understood itself as a much-needed spiritual renewal within the Church. Cormac O'Duffy is not just extremely well informed; he is also a realist. He is well aware of the fact that this would not yet be the final goal. However, it would be huge step towards reaching true reconciliation and visible unity among all Christians. Ultimately, to quote from the "After-word" citing Blessed Max Joseph Metzger's sermon in Dresden Hofkirche in November, 1941: "Only from the grace of God can we expect and ask for what is 'impossible to man". There are no words to express my admiration and gratefulness for the immense effort that must have gone into this volume. It is the best contribution I have seen to an issue so dear to God's heart, and at the same time it is the most well-written and accessible one. May it reach as many readers as possible and fire them up with a Spirit of reconciliation, mutual understanding, and a passionate desire for visible unity in diversity!
Elisabeth Peeters, Discalced Carmelite Kirchzarten, Germany February 28, 2025
The brilliant and well-balanced analysis of the tragic events that led up to the schism in Augsburg in 1530 is the first eye-opener. As the author takes the reader along on a profoundly moving and very well-documented journey through history, it is impossible not to become aware of the full scope of a tragedy never intended by the Lutheran reform movement that understood itself as a much-needed spiritual renewal within the Church. Cormac O'Duffy is not just extremely well informed; he is also a realist. He is well aware of the fact that this would not yet be the final goal. However, it would be huge step towards reaching true reconciliation and visible unity among all Christians. Ultimately, to quote from the "After-word" citing Blessed Max Joseph Metzger's sermon in Dresden Hofkirche in November, 1941: "Only from the grace of God can we expect and ask for what is 'impossible to man". There are no words to express my admiration and gratefulness for the immense effort that must have gone into this volume. It is the best contribution I have seen to an issue so dear to God's heart, and at the same time it is the most well-written and accessible one. May it reach as many readers as possible and fire them up with a Spirit of reconciliation, mutual understanding, and a passionate desire for visible unity in diversity!
Elisabeth Peeters, Discalced Carmelite Kirchzarten, Germany February 28, 2025
nicky gumbel pioneer of'alpha' *
Jesus’s prayer in John’s gospel that the Church ‘may be brought to complete unity’ is the prayer of every Christian. Cormac O’Duffy’s helpful book “Una Sancta: Why are we still divided?” tells the story of the Church’s divisions over the centuries and attempts by Christians to mend the wounds. He presents an exciting vision of how in coming decades the Church of Christ may grow closer to that “Una Sancta” – the one holy church through which Jesus prayed ‘the world will believe’.
Nicky Gumbel
* 'Alpha' is a Christian Course run in over 175 countries and in 100+ languages
Nicky Gumbel
* 'Alpha' is a Christian Course run in over 175 countries and in 100+ languages
ROBERT KOLB, concordia lutheran seminary st louis
"Cormac O'Duffy rehearses the roots of both the Wittenberg Reformation and the twentieth century attempts at Roman Catholic-Evangelical rapprochement in the dark days of National Socialism as background to the call for Roman Catholic recognition of the Augsburg Confession in the 1970s. This appeal sought to use Philip Melanchthon's formulation of the core of the biblical message in that Confes-sion as a platform for our common witness to Jesus Christ in our time. Readers will profit much both from O'Duffy's historical reporting and from his message of reconciliation based on this document from a critical time of separation within Western Christendom. This book challenges readers to rethink what it means to be Christ's church and to act in confessing the faith with Melanchthon in our own time and place."
-ROBERT KOLB, professor of systematic theology emeritus, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis
-ROBERT KOLB, professor of systematic theology emeritus, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis
about the author cormac brian o'duffy
Cormac in the Dresden Hofkirche where Metzger gave his talk' Why are we still separated in November 1941
Cormac O’Duffy is an American-born Irishman who grew up in Ireland and the UK. He completed his university education in Ireland where he
received a Bachelor of Music from University College Dublin and an MA (Hons) and PhD from the University of Limerick. He works as a Parish musician, Composer and Author. Most recently his oratorio 'Metzger' was premiered on April 21 2024 in Brandenburg-Görden Prison in Brandenburg, where the now Blessed Max Josef Metzger (1887–1944) was executed on 17 April 1944. He has dedicated many years in seeking to make the passionate convictions of Blessed Max Josef Metzger for Christian Unity better known both in Germany and globally. The book - "Una Sancta: Why are we still separated?" was inspired by a talk Metzger gave in 1941 in Dresden's Catholic Hofkirche, just three years before his execution for his beliefs. Metzger was beatified in Freiburg Cathedral by Cardinal Kurt Koch in November 2024
received a Bachelor of Music from University College Dublin and an MA (Hons) and PhD from the University of Limerick. He works as a Parish musician, Composer and Author. Most recently his oratorio 'Metzger' was premiered on April 21 2024 in Brandenburg-Görden Prison in Brandenburg, where the now Blessed Max Josef Metzger (1887–1944) was executed on 17 April 1944. He has dedicated many years in seeking to make the passionate convictions of Blessed Max Josef Metzger for Christian Unity better known both in Germany and globally. The book - "Una Sancta: Why are we still separated?" was inspired by a talk Metzger gave in 1941 in Dresden's Catholic Hofkirche, just three years before his execution for his beliefs. Metzger was beatified in Freiburg Cathedral by Cardinal Kurt Koch in November 2024
