The first Common Catechism for use by Roman Catholics and Protestants was published recently. It is claimed to be the most comprehensive statement of the Christian faith available for Roman Catholics and Protestants. The editors were Prof. Johannes Feiner of Zurich and Dr
Lukas Vischer of Geneva and the catechism was compiled by a team of 19 Roman Catholic and 17 Protestant theologians. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Coggan, has described it as “an honest piece of theological work which will benefit all who are prepared to do some hard thinking,” according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.
There is a great effort afoot to attempt to reconcile Protestant and Roman Catholic belief. The attempt however is vain for, whatever place the Roman Catholic Church may seem to give to certain orthodox doctrines, the two systems of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are irreconcilable. Only by the use of vaguely worded statements can Protestant and Roman Catholic belief be made to appear one. In the final analysis, Romanism requires submission to her dogmas and does not concede to Protestant belief its claim to orthodoxy.