The problem with this letter is what it
doesn't say - it attempts to exonerate the past five popes, who were just as bad and Progressivist. Not so honest or courageous, despite its appearances.
www.traditioninaction.org/Questions/F077_Accusation.htm"For example, the Letter blames Francis for praising Luther and his doctrine of justification and for going to Lund and signing a document with Protestants. This is not a novelty. John XXIII invited Protestants to the Council and praised them many times. I remember reading a declaration of Protestant Roger Schutz, the founder of Taizé, saying that he heard from John XXIII that the Protestants are not outside of the Church of Christ. Later on Benedict XVI
gave Communion to Schutz at the funeral of John Paul II and, when Schutz died, Benedict
declared he was in Heaven.Paul VI
changed the Mass to please Protestants; he gave the Papal Ring to the Anglican head Ramsey as a
symbol of “the betrothal” of Catholics and Anglicans. John Paul II praised Luther and his doctrine of justification many, many times. I remember that the texts of the
Augsburg Accord – penned by then Card. Joseph Ratzinger – were an implicit approval of Luther’s errors on justification. John Paul II also went many times to
Protestant temples and made the most censurable statements there. Benedict XVI also did not hide his
admiration for Luther.
So, why are these scholars now trying to present Francis as someone with different ideas and separate from his predecessors? Why are they quoting documents by John Paul II and Benedict XVI as if the latter were authentic representatives of the pure Catholic doctrine, when this is not true?"
