Journalist sees German dissent document as 'rebellion in the nursing home'
February 08, 2011
The journalist whose in-depth interview with Pope Benedict XVI became the book Light of the World has dismissed a public protest by German-speaking theologians as “a rebellion in the nursing home.”
Peter Seewald told the Kath.net news agency that a highly-publicized statement of dissent-- signed by one-third of the theology professors at Catholic universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—should not be interpreted as a popular uprising against Church teaching. Rather, he said, it is a protest by the same people who have caused a crisis in Catholic teaching.
The dissident theologians, Seewald charged, are seeking to remodel the Church in their own image, adapting Catholic teachings to popular standards. Their approach, he said, is to measure Church doctrines by the standards of popular opinion, putting themselves in the role of “chief priests of the Zeitgeist.”
In his acerbic remarks on the theologians’ public statement, Seewald referred to St. Paul’s words (2 Tim 4:3):
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachings to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.
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Further information:
- Wer Wind sät, wird Sturm ernten (Kath.net)
- Germany: theologians call for women’s ordination, lend support to homosexual partnerships (CWN, 2/4)
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Posted by: Obregon -
Feb. 10, 2011 12:00 AM ET USA
Mr. Seewald states,"Rather, he said, it is a protest by the same people who have caused a crisis in Catholic teaching." That's precisely the problem. These theologians are no longer Catholic and would love to make the Church into their image and likeness. They are a danger to the Church and as such should be excommunicated, since that is the only "dialogue" Rome can have with heretics possing as theologians.
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Posted by: impossible -
Feb. 09, 2011 7:46 PM ET USA
No, not in the "nursing home," but rather in the insane asylum. Catholic theologians are to be at the service of dogma and doctrine, not agents of dissent and destruction. It's long overdue for the Pope to excommunicate Hans Kung et al, thus setting them "free." Then they can establish yet another PROTSTant denomination, which can then split, split again ad infinitum. Maybe they could then give our CINO "Catholic" universities/colleges a new home.
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Posted by: Chestertonian -
Feb. 08, 2011 11:55 PM ET USA
What a wonderful quote from St Paul! Bravo Seewald! Indeed, it would seem that it's time for 1/3 of the theology professors in those 3 countries to retire--may the Holy Spirit come and do a bit of housecleaning. These profs are likely of the ilk who believe in the "spirit" of vatican II but have ignored or discounted what was actually in the documents promulgated there from.
