The Vatican Magazine published a disturbing analysis of the situation of the Church in Germany in its September edition. It came from the feather of the exegete and theologian Klaus Berger.Berger came to the conclusion that there are a large sum of anti-Church initiatives (which are voiced especially in Germany) "which are indeed already practiced up and down the land". He means here the remarried divorced, women in ecclesiastical offices etc...
He has come to the conclusion: "The overwhelming majority of the German Catholic professors for theology, along with their Bishops, have come to embody a split in the Catholic Church in Germany for a long time."
Church of the Germans -- Church of Scandals
Between the stalled reforms and division, Pope Benedict and the 'gravamina nationis germanicae" is an oration of the Heidelberg Theologian Klaus Berge.
The stalled reforms, under which the German Church is alleged to have suffered, are not completely new and fresh.
They are long standing, wooden propsoals: same sex partnerships, remarried divorced, married priests, women "in ecclesiastical offices" (what is meant is probably ordination) and the participation of the people in the election of Bishops.
These demands and proposals are familiar to me as a historian of the Conciliarism of the 4th century, and partly from the Kulturkampf under Bismarck, and partly from the books of my Great Grandfather, who had boasted to have been a party member in 1923.
The whole is therefore neither revolutionary, nor in any way comprehensive. It is a mere collection of scandals, like the „gravamina nationis germanicae“ of 1522. In German: "The affliction of the German Nation."
It is interesting that here the concept "German Nation" occurs, because the singers of the Memorandum of those 150 theologians earlier this year were of German national back ground. It is striking: not one of those demands is substantiated, and clearly had been enforced.
No one can convince me that the diagnosis of gridlock is because of this supposed collegial assistance for the rest of the reign of Pope Benedict. Because there isn't the slightest glimmer of a possibility that any of these will be realized in the future. And who authorized these pretended reformers to speak for my faith? [WOW]
In German Universities, these acts will not only be undertaken by 150 professors, or about one third of the colleagues who follow these enthusiasts, but in reality it should be about two thirds. But the dream of these colleagues and what they propose is always novel, but it's not the future, it's already practiced all over the country already.
For in truth, it is at the its base in Germany, maintaining comprehensive inter-celebration and inter-communion. The Corpus Christi procession with the ecumenical female Protestant pastor took care to read the Gospel at all four altars. Thus missing in the catalog of all relevant claims, especially these: We demand the immediate and unconditional acceptance of all Protestant church structures. By the way: as far as the creed of any religious truths which has been interesting for some, for time anyway, no more.
The overwhelming majority of German Catholic professors of theology embody, therefore, along with some bishops, have long been split from the Catholic Church in Germany. This church is deliberately insisted upon and it is a thoroughly German national church. For the special required by Rome, including celibacy rules, are indeed already practiced. Still, it makes no sense to themselves and others to throw sand in the eye here. [u]But hypocrisy and cowardice[/u] are complementary to the present chapter of this new schism.
When the Pope comes to us now, he will present a good face to an insidious game. This much is clear to me: the Church renewed by these "reformers" I do not belong - and the large number of those not still in the Catholic Church of my youth and formed as the people of God, have fled long ago in the internal or external emigration from the faith of my fathers and my beloved mother, dying Church.
Without wanting to give these uncritical critics of the Church too much credit, I would like to make a philological note on their pamphlets and statements. This text from recent Church history is not known to me, where the word "freedom" is arbitrary, aloof and also completely transgressed in an unbiblical way.
In a similar way, is the latest revision of Luther, where Luther is supposed to be the representative of civil liberties (including participation). Freedom is always according to the liberation of the biblical revelation instead of that which threatens the eternal life of man. It was also central in Luther to experience of liberation from sin, death and the devil. Luther did not mean lay preaching and the participation of a businessman in the next election of a bishop.
Gerhard Schröder, had but so many excellent opportunities for us, that Mrs. Kaessmann [A protestant Bishopess who lost her job because of a dui conviction] with her immense popularity would become the next Archbishopess and successor of Cardinal Meisner. This is not at all what I mean, when I speak as a theologian of freedom, but freedom in terms of the new anti-Roman and anti-papal "German Christians" would read: "We do what we want"; the only measure is the zeitgeist. The fact that God's commandments are thrown overboard will hardly be noticed by the reader (divorce ban, ban the practice of homosexuality, ban on public preaching of women in worship, in 1 Corinthians 14:37, expressly referred to as the Lord's command, prohibition of self-determination in ethical issues according to Romans 6.15-17 - "but now you obeyed from the heart of the apostolic teaching").
From one of my colleagues I have even heard that since celibacy lacks theological grounding, it is "not necessary". Now there is, in fact, a German understanding of Christianity brought to a head. And they always repeated a declaration that when something is not necessary, it is what is meant by Catholic, light years away. For even the cathedral is "not necessary" for there is no scripture passage standing against against its demolition and you could easily invest instead, and with the consent of the masses, an ecumenical Parking lot.
It also means to the average Catholic in Germany: since then some clever professor found out, not to go to church on Sundays is not a more serious sin, so the rest goes, because it was not necessary. In short: Nothing but the baptism is necessary, and actually not even that.
Grace is not necessary, and you can't preach the sign of the cross to anyone either. No praise is necessary, no surrender. One should not make such a fuss, no commitment, no great love for the Church as needed. The craving of the new intra-Catholic reformers is missing this above all: the name of Jesus and that a change of heart is sorely needed.
I won't talk any more of the crisis of faith (about which, speaks any text of the New Testament already) to describe the demands of the German professional mourners, even as an example of this crisis.
In my home, Easter is still a highly visible luminous sign of a victorious faith and great love. One came to the fires, marveled at the embers, and warming himself at them, he swore eternal fidelity to the girlfriend at his side. For the in the Bible, faith, loyalty and identity are all of the same.
(Source: Vatican magazine , Sept. 2011)
Link to Germany's Society webpage...
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