Benedict XVI's Criticism: Far From an Example, the German Church is a Black Hole

Benedict XVI's criticism of the worldly German church with the faithful
of a "Trade Union Mentality" because there are "too many" employees
of the church (pictured is Cardinal Marx of the German Bishops'
Conference) 

(Rome) "From because good example for the world. The German church is a black hole," was the unflattering judgment of Vaticanist Sandro Magister on the Catholic Church in the Federal Republic of Germany, whose highest representative office is the German Bishops' Conference. The Vatican expert summed up the damning verdict by Benedict XVI. about the German church, which he expresses in the new interview book with Peter Seewald.

In Germany there were some people who have always wanted to destroy him, says Benedict XVI. As an example, the former head of the church was deceitfully accused of anti-semitism by some countrymen when he changed the Good Friday prayer for the Jews.

The interview book, says Magister, was an "accusation" by Benedict XVI. against the German church. He accuses it of being too worldly. He had already hurled charges of worldliness on the 25th September 2011 in Freiburg, and called for a "detachment from the world." Although at that time everyone understood what was meant, an entire church apparatus, including courtiers and minions started to move in order to claim that what was meant what not what was meant, and everything would remain as it is.

"Too many Catholics as Church employees with a Trade Union Mentality"

Secularization is a danger that accompanies the Church constantly. Where it has gone too far, the Church has suffered serious damage in its history. To focus on Germany: The outbreak and even more so, the success of Luther's "Reformation" revolution had largely to do with the secularization [laicization] of the Church and especially with the benefice saturated Prince Archbishop of Mainz, who was at the same time Archbishop of Magdeburg, Elector, Archchancellor of the Empire and Primate Germaniae, in one person, Albrecht of Brandenburg (House of Hohenzollern). By today's standards he would be the President of the German Bishops' Conference .

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

In Freiburg in 2011, Benedict XVI did not mention the church tax system by name. In the interview book he does, probably to prevent a renewed "reinterpretation" of his words. Benedict does not criticize the levy in itself because every baptized person is bound by his means  to contribute to the maintenance of the clergy and to provide support, so that the Church can fulfill its apostolic and charitable tasks. However, Benedict criticized the linking of church tax with excommunication.That is, says the former Pope, untenable.

The result of the church tax system is a highly organized Church, but in the - so the downside - Catholics are often merely employees of the Church and a "trade union mentality" prevails. The Church will no longer be perceived by them from the dimension of faith, but more as an employer, which is  to be criticized as such. The motivation of faith is lacking. Also it becomes an expression of the secularization of Church life.

"Impressive contrast between Benedict's criticism of German Church and Francis' favor for the German Church"

The Church in Germany is, after the government, Germany's second largest employer. The gigantic apparatus has transformed the church into a "secular bureaucracy."   It's a situation that Benedict XVI.  finds tragic.  That much money is not good for the Church is because in the end it is still too little and creates only sarcasm from  intellectual circles.

"It impresses the contrast between this harsh criticism of Benedict XVI. and the favor the same German Church enjoys today from Pope Francis, as if it were the vanguard of the hoped-for renewal of a world Christendom defined by poverty and mercy, while in reality, in front of everyone, it is obvious that the Church is neither poor nor merciful in Germany but - even worse - is smothered by its own apparatus, and especially by the world where many central themes of morality and dogma is on its knees. "

What Magister does not explicitly mention: Currently there are German bishops and subordinate representatives on their knees in "Luther fever." Cardinal Reinhard Marx, President of the German Bishops' Conference, declared Luther a "bombastic figure" while Cardinal Walter Kasper announced: "Luther was right."

Magister explains the German church tax system with its compulsory payments that level the threat of excommunication for non-compliance. The Vatican expert points out that the German Bishops' Conference last year, received more than five times what the Italian Episcopal Conference received through voluntary church donations.

Modern indulgences: disobedience and heresy do not matter, the main thing is that you pay the church tax

Whoever doesn't pay the church tax in Germany will be excluded from the Church. This was confirmed again by the German bishops in  2012. Who does not pay, is excluded from the sacraments.

Of "mercy" says Magister, there  is no trace. In Germany, a considerable part of the church is disobeying doctrine and discipline of the Church. Schismatic and heretical tendencies are tolerated without the slightest suspicon. The remarried divorcees "go unabashedly Communion everywhere, and aberrosexual unions are increasingly being blessed in church."   Excommunication was nowhere mentioned however much it might encourage some. "But woe", if someone does not pay church tax. One could speak of a new "indulgence." The main thing is you pay, then you can do it any way you want, the services of the Church are always available.  Subservience to the zeitgeist prevails accordingly in a deafening silence about the mass murder of unborn children through abortion.

This past July 17  Curial Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the secretary of Benedict XVI., also lamented this contradiction in an interview with the Swabian newspaper .

A lot of money: influence on the many poor diocese and also in Rome

"There is no mention of the influence which the German Church has on many poor dioceses in the southern hemisphere, they support financially," said Magister. The same applies to the Holy See in Rome, who is also a big beneficiary of German monetary flows.

As early as 2011 there the church in Germany was peeved at Benedict XVI.'s critique of the worldliness of their church.  Since he is then no longer Pope, they no longer have to take out all the stops to appease public opinion. This part was adopted at this time by the Jesuit Andreas Batlogg, editor of the Jesuit magazine "Stimmen der Zeit". He said that the interview book by Benedict XVI. "should never have appeared", and Cardinal Marx would do to silence criticism.

The German church knows, so the impression, that a nerve has been struck when one criticizes her luxuriant flowing money.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: MiL / ACIprensa (screenshots)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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