Weigel takes on dissident German theologians

March 02, 2011

Dissenting Catholic theologians in Germany have issued a public statement calling for radical change in the Church. George Weigel sees that statement as a classic example of chutzpa, since the theologians seem to be suggesting that the Church should “transform itself into another liberal Protestant sect by conceding virtually every point at issue between classic Christianity and the ambient culture of the postmodern West.”

Weigel notes that the dissenters claim that the Church has fallen into an unprecedented crisis because of the sex-abuse scandal. Leaving aside the crisis that German Catholics faced with the rise of the Nazi regime, Weigel asks: “what about the crisis of faith that emptied German churches over the past two generations, such that weekly Mass attendance in urban areas hovers around 5-10 percent?” These theologians, he hints, might ask themselves what role they have played in that decline.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• The Chutzpa of the German Theologians (Inside Catholic)