One ReligionDispatches writer, Rosemary Ganley, highlights a German op-ed piece by Hans Kung, progressive Catholic priest and noted theologian, although not recognized as a theologian anymore by the Vatican. In the op-ed, Kung wishes Obama were the Pope instead of Benedict XVI. As Granley's states:
Two gold stars to whomever can translate the original op-ed.To get right to the point, Kung in his article on February 3, wished Barack Obama were Pope. “The mood in the church is oppressive, reforms are paralyzed, and the church in crisis,” he says. “Benedict is unteachable in matters of birth control and abortion, arrogant and without transparency and restrictive of freedom and human rights.”
For Kung, Benedict should act as Obama has done, declaring a crisis, identifying the problems, proclaiming a vision of hope, revitalizing ecumenism, gathering competent colleagues of either gender, and using the power of his executive office to issue decrees (unhindered by such institutions as a democratically-elected Congress or a Supreme Court.)
But no, “the Pope is reorienting himself backward, inspired by the ideal of the medieval church, looking toward the Council of 1870, not the one of 1965.”
3 comments:
Where are Seth and Nast when you need 'em?
A rough translation:
President Barack Obama succeeded it to lead within a short time the United States out from depression and blocking of reforms to present a convincing hope vision and to introduce a strategic turn in the interior such as foreign policy of this large country. Differently in the catholic church. The tendency is oppressive, blocking of reforms immobilizing. After nearly four years in the office many Benedikt XVI see Pope. on the line of a George W. Bush. No coincidence that the Pope its 81. Birthday last year in the white house celebrated. Both, Bush and Ratzinger, are learn-unable in questions of birth control and abortion, averse all serious reforms, wonderful and without transparency in their discharge of office, the freedoms and rights of humans restrictive.
Like Bush at that time, then also Pope Benedikt under an increasing loss of confidence suffers. Many catholics expect nothing more of him. More badly still: By the cancelling of the Exkommunikation of four illegaly dedicated traditionalistischen bishops, under it a notorious Holocaust denier, all fears expressed with the choice Ratzingers to the Pope were confirmed. The Pope revalues people, those still the freedom of religion affirmed by the second Vatikani council, the dialogue with the other churches, the reconciliation with the Judentum, the high estimation Islam and the other world religions as well as the reform of the Liturgie rejects.
Around " Versöhnung" with a handful of ore-reactionary traditionalists to make progress with, this Pope risks the loss of confidence of millions of catholics in all countries, which hold the loyalty for the second Vatikani council. The fact that straight occur to a German Pope such absence rides intensifies the conflicts. Additional apologies cannot cement the smashed porcelain. It would have a Pope still more easily than a president of the United States to make a change of course. It does not have a congress as legislation beside itself and no highest court as Judikative over itself. It is unrestricted head of government, legislator and highest judge in the church. It could permit, if it wanted, over night the Empfängnisverhütung, permit the priest marriage, make the woman surgery possible and permit the communion community with the protestant churches. What would do a Pope, who acted in the spirit Obamas? It would express clearly similarly as Obama first of all the fact that the Roman-catholic church is in a deep crisis and would designate the crisis centres: many municipalities without priest, being missing new generation for the Priestertum, by unpopular Pfarreifusionen masked collapse of seelsorgerlicher structures, which had often grown over centuries.
Wow. Not that I really understood that translation, but it got me near enough. Two gold stars for Darren.
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