by Teresa Benedetta
Far from reality
Editorial
by Giovanni Maria Vian
10/29/09
Provisional translation
from wire service reports
Once again a decision of Benedict XVI has been painted in dark, pre-constituted colors, and above all, [in terms] farthest from reality.
Doing so, unfortunately, and once again, is Hans Kueng, the Swiss theologian who was his colleague and friend, and that this Pope, in 2005, barely five months after his election, asked to meet with, in friendship, to discuss the common ethical bases of religions and the relationship between reason and faith…
This, despite the fact that in 1979, at the start of John Paul II’s Pontificate, Kueng was sanctioned for some of his doctrinal positions by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith [then headed by the Croatian Cardinal Franjo Seper) which, at the end of a process started in the last years of Paul VI, declared that Kueng could no longer be considered a Catholic theologian...
From then on [after the 2005 meeting], Kueng, unfailingly taken up by influential media, has repeatedly criticized Benedict XVI with acrimony and without basis.
As he does now – published to great fanfare by The Guardian in Britain and by La Repubblica in Italy, which will certainly not remain the only newspapers in the world that will publish his article – regarding the truly historical announcement by the Holy See that canonical structures will be constituted to allow the entry into full communion with the Catholic Church of many Anglicans.
A gesture which is aimed at reconstituting the unity mandated by Christ and which comes after a long and arduous ecumenical journey undertaken for that purpose, but which is distorted and misrepresented as if it was an astute power maneuver to be read in political terms, and naturally considered to be extreme right…
It is not worthwhile to underscore the falsehoods and inexactitudes of this latest article by Kueng, whose tones once more don’t do honor to his personal history, and in some ways, approach comicality, deliberately ignoring facts, and even mocking the Anglican primate, who signed a joint statement with the Archbishop of Westminster…
Unfortunately, however, the article by the Swiss theologian will be highly circulated and will contribute to a representation of the Catholic Church and Benedict XVI that is as dark as it is unfounded…
To summarize the situation to which the Catholic Church has come to under the present Pope, Kueng writes that it is a tragedy. One does not need to use equally hyperbolic terms to describe his article, even if one is left with great bitterness in the face of this nth gratuitous attack on the Church of Rome and its indisputable ecumenical commitment.

Thanks David for forwarding the article about the former Catholic theologian. I have long given up on expecting Hans Kung to given an authentically Catholic view of virtually any topic. Some of his earlier works are helpful but he has made his choice and as for teaching the orthodox faith, he is most unreliable.
The Anglican issue has been driven largely by the un-apostolic decision by a portion of that church on key theological and moral issues. Without a real decision making authority but a consensus driven aparatus, it has left the traditional Anglican to a decision point, which is crossing the Tiber and accepting the Pope. The courageous decision by Pope Benedict is more of a mechanism to manage in a consistent fashion the reception of these people, including a very pastoral accomodation to ordain their “priests” and some unmarried bishops. This is not without precedent if you look back at the Arian crisis and clerical conversions.
In Christ, Jim

Predictably Kung

Father Kung is correct. This Pope has a penchant for the reactionary forces in the Church; for example the latinistas (i.e. Lefvebrist wing) and the conservative Anglicans. It will be interesting to see how the Church handles married, Anglican/Catholic priests in the latin rite.
It would be helpful for the Pope to reach out to the liberals in the Church as well.

The last time I checked the calendar it was not the 1960′s – somebody needs to inform Kung of this and tell him his 15 minutes were up a long time ago.
BJ – The Church has had married Episcopal /Anglican priests for years, as well as Eastern Rite married priests. Nobody needs to ‘reach out to the liberals’ in the Church because they have been running things for the past 40 years. Those who have strayed outside the Church should always be encouraged to come home, as long as they accept the teachings of Christ.

It’s Hans Kung talking, consider the source…

Gee Gen X Revert: I do accept the teachings of Jesus Christ. And the Church used to be “catholic” that is, “universal”, which meant that it was large enough for all types of people…..not just the pre-Vatican II crowd.

BJ – The Church is “catholic”, which means it’s large enough for all types of people… including the “pre-Vatican II” crowd.

Keung reminds me of the father of Sarah Palin’s grandchild.

The Pope should reach out within his church to many qualified married Catholic deacons and ordain them to the full priesthood in order to alleviate the priest shortage. But no, instead he lets Catholics die without a priest or the sacraments due to an artificial requirement which was NOT ordained by Jesus but a man made ordinance to keep church property from being inherited. Recall that Jesus chose 11 married men out of 12 to be His apostles (and first priests at the Last Supper)! With all due respect — can’t the Pope, cardinals and bishops count the apostles? There were 11 “married” men out of 12 chosen by Jesus (God incarnate) AND NOT 11 “SINGLE” MEN! It was a sad development in history to make the church priesthood and hierarchy an exclusive single men’s club. This is opposed to Jesus own example which made the beginnings of His church a married man’s place too. Many today want Jesus’ church which include married men!