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''Ecclesia semper reformanda est'' (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
for "the church must always be reformed", often – as usual in Latin – shortened to ''Ecclesia semper reformanda'') is a phrase first greatly popularized by
Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Calvinist theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary ''The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Declara ...
in 1947, allegedly deriving from a saying of
St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
. It most often refers to the conviction of certain
Reformed Protestant Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calv ...
theologians that the church must continually re-examine itself in order to maintain its purity of doctrine and practice.


History

An early example is Jodocus van Lodenstein, ''Beschouwinge van Zion (Contemplation of Zion)'', Amsterdam, 1674– 78, who claims the "truth… that also in the Church there is always much to reform" (''"Sekerlijk de Gereformeerde Waarheyd… leert dat in de Kerke ook altijd veel te herstellen is"''.). A variation of the term, ''Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda'' ("the reformed church ustalways be reformed"), also used by Karl Barth, refers to the desire of an "erudite man" cited by Jodocus van Lodenstein that the Church should not be called "Reformata", but "Reformanda".


Protestantism

It is widely but informally used in
Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
and
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...
churches today (for example, the
French Reformed Church The Reformed Church of France (french: Église réformée de France, ERF) was the main Protestant denomination in France with a Calvinist orientation that could be traced back directly to John Calvin. In 2013, the Church merged with the Evangel ...
use "''Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda''" as motto).


Catholic Church

The first term was used by
Hans Küng Hans Küng (; 19 March 1928 – 6 April 2021) was a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author. From 1995 he was president of the Foundation for a Global Ethic (Stiftung Weltethos). Küng was ordained a priest in 1954, joined the faculty of ...
and other ecclesiastical reformers of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
who were influenced by the
spirit of Vatican II The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and 1 ...
of the 1960s. The Catholic Church used the idea in the document
Lumen gentium ''Lumen gentium'', the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964, following approval by the assembled bish ...
of the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
, nr. 8: "Dum vero Christus, "sanctus, innocens, impollutus" (Hebr 7,26), peccatum non novit (cf. 2Cor 5,21), sed sola delicta populi repropitiare venit (cf. Hebr 2,17), Ecclesia in proprio sinu peccatores complectens, sancta simul et semper purificanda, poenitentiam et renovationem continuo prosequitur": "While Christ, holy, innocent and undefiled knew nothing of sin, but came to expiate only the sins of the people, the Church, embracing in its bosom sinners, at the same time holy and always in need of being purified, always follows the way of penance and renewal." This latter usage appears in a 2009 pastoral letter by Bishop
R. Walker Nickless Ralph Walker Nickless (born May 28, 1947) is an American prelate in the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City in Iowa since 2005. Biography Ralph Nickless was born on May 28, 1947, in Denver, Colorad ...
that encourages a hermeneutic of continuity in Catholic teaching and practice.Pastoral letter
/ref>


In popular culture

The phrase (without the ''est'') is also put into the mouth of the fictional Pope Gelasius III in Mary Doria Russell's 1998 novel ''Children of God''.


See also

* Five ''sola''s


References

Protestant theology Latin religious words and phrases Christian terminology