Osservatore Romano Reacts to the Death of Robert Spaemann

Osservatore Romano Robert Spaemann obituary 13122018

(Rome) The Pope's daily has published an obituary for the great Catholic philosopher Robert Spaemann, who died on Monday. It also acknowledges that he was a critic of the controversial, post-synodal writing, Amoris laetitia.

Prof. Spaemann is one of the most outstanding and formative figures of Catholic thought of the past 60 years (see the obituary of Katholisches.info death of Prof. Robert Spaemann). He was an admonisher against the break with tradition and was called without contradiction, a counter-revolutionary. In this sense, the requiem and the funeral have also taken place in the Immemorial form of the Roman Rite. At his request, on his last earthly journey, he will be accompanied by priests of the Petrine Brotherhood (FSSP), with whom he has been associated since their foundation.

Particularly noteworthy in the obituary of the Vatican newspaper is the indication that Prof. Spaemann was a critic of Amoris laetitia. 

It says in the obituary:

The appreciation of his person is international. The appreciation of his spiritual work must first be done in full. The pope's daily newspaper, the Osservatore Romano, also devotes an obituary to the great German thinker in its current issue. It highlights his "strong resistance" to abortion and euthanasia, as well as mentioning his membership in the Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope John Paul II. called him a personal friend along with Pope Benedict XVI. No mention was made by the Osservatore Romano that Spaemann  was shown the door with other  academicians by Pope Francis im an especially inelegant and arbitrary manner on 31 December 2016.

"In recent years he has expressed very critical thoughts on the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia."

It is noteworthy because it is the first real recognition of the criticism of the controversial, Post-Synodal Exhortation of Pope Francis by the Osservatore Romano. So far, the critics in the daily paper of the Pope, as in the whole Vatican media, is not only offered no room, but conceals the existence of any criticism at all. At best, critics were sharply attacked without commenting on their criticisms.

Prof. Spaemann was among the very first critics of the controversial conclusions that Pope Francis drew from the dual synod to the family. Just a few days after the release of Amoris laetitia he reported on April 28, 2016 in an interview with the German edition of the Catholic News Agency (CNA) to speak and spoke of a "break with the tradition of teaching".

The interview for reading:

"A break with the tradition of teaching" - Robert Spaemann on Amoris laetitia.

It may be assumed and hoped that this is only the communication of his death, and that in the Osservatore Romano will follow with a more detailed appreciation of his greatness, as in the same issue the Jesuit and Schelling expert P. Xavier Tilliette and the Marxist, Paleographer and medievalist, Armando Pettrucci became part of.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Osservatore Romano (Screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Philosopher Robert Spaemann is Dead

The well-known Catholic philosopher Robert Spaemann died yesterday at the age of 91.

Stuttgart (kath.net/kathpedia.com) The well-known Catholic philosopher Robert Spaemann died yesterday at the age of 91. This kath.net has learned from his family.

Robert Spaemann was born on May 5, 1927 in Berlin, the son of Heinrich Spaemann, later elevated to the priesthood, and his wife Ruth Krämer. He studied philosophy, history, theology and Romance studies at the universities of Münster, Munich, Friborg and Paris. He received his doctorate in Münster in 1952, worked as a lecturer at Kohlhammer Verlag for four years, then as an assistant to Joachim Ritter in Münster. He habilitated there in 1962 in philosophy and education with a thesis on François Fénelon. Spaemann was until 1968 full professor of philosophy at the universities of Stuttgart, until 1972 in Heidelberg and Munich, where he retired in 1992. Spaemann was widowed and father of two children.

For Spaemann, the reasonableness of the belief in God is the center of his philosophy. He explains the traditional philosophical proofs of God and points out that these proofs of God still found philosophical admirers in the 20th century.

The belief in God has endured for Spaemann. He calls him therefore the "immortal rumor". Universalist religions like Christianity could not do without mission. They would have to bring their points of view into the general discourse. He is convinced that a fruitful discussion is possible between different religious positions. For Spaemann, the mark of God in the world is man, created in his own image.

In an essay published in 1996 Spaemann sharply criticized the "Project Global Ethos" of the Tübingen theologian Hans Küng.

Pope Benedict XVI. Appreciated him as a consultant and invited him to Castel Gandolfo in September 2006 to speak about the relationship between science, philosophy and faith.

In his speeches and publications, Spaemann campaigns for the protection of human life from its beginning to natural death. He therefore criticized proposals for - at least partial - release of killing on request and for a "liberalization" of euthanasia. He bases this on an understanding of person and human dignity that rejects any relativization of the right to life with dates, deadlines and other conditions. Together with the former constitutional judge Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde he formulated the following principle: "If there should be anything like rights of the person, they can only exist on the condition that no one is authorized to judge who is the subject of such rights.” Human dignity does not come to the person under the condition of certain qualities (eg self-confidence), but solely because of their biological belonging to the human species. He shows that for the Enlightenment just this thesis that "people before their birth have personal rights,” was self-evident. It is Spaemann's merit to have "raised the debate about abortion and euthanasia to this fundamental level".

Spaemann was considered a representative of an Aristotelian natural philosophy. In his contributions to the philosophy of law, he emphasized the "actuality of natural law". In the dispute over natural law, he did not recognize an argument against, but one for this right. For "if there were no right by nature, it would not make sense to argue about issues of justice". The existence of that right does not mean that it is obvious to everyone, but "that it makes sense to seek something in the direction that this name refers to.” Natural law can no longer be understood as a catalog of norms or a kind of meta-constitution. Rather, it is a mindset, that checks “all critical legal legitimization again.”

Questions of education are, according to Spaemann's view "at the beginning of all ethics.” In the 1970s he commented on the ideas of "emancipatory education.” The idea of ​​emancipation is meaningful there, "where people are freed from outside guardianship with regard to the organization of the framework conditions of their actions.” This concept of emancipation denotes "a process which always has a beginning and an end,” which is called maturity. The idea of ​​"emancipatory" education, which he calls the ideology of emancipation, on the other hand, meant "an infinite and, moreover, a universally conceived process," as an educational ideal. It serves to expand the circle of those who are "declared to be immature" and legitimize a "massive ideological rule by the educators.” The ideology of emancipation deprives the child of the right to possibilities for identification and personality development. [8] He belonged in 1978 to the organizers of the congress "Courage for Education", which was directed against emancipatory education experiments with children. According to Spaemann, the task of the educators is to "bring the child to the independent and recalcitrant reality.” First, the child must be carefully and purposefully guided to reality from "his subjective world of sensation." The decisive factor is that "reality will initially be experienced as helpful and friendly.” The foundation of this basic experience - psychology speaks of basic trust - is the most important thing "that education can do.” For anyone who remembers his childhood as an "ideal world" would "easily cope with the unhappy.”

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Spaemann: Priests May Deny Dogmas, but Believers Can't Refuse the Church Tax

Edit: in light of recent events with Bishop Tebartz van Elst and the German Bishop's complicity in distributing pornography with Catholic's donations, enforced through the church-tax, this statement by philosopher Robert Spaemann on September 9th of 2011 really cuts to the quick.

(Gloria.tv / KNA) The philosopher Robert Spaemann has criticized the church tax. "It is scandalous in our church tax, that he who pays no more church tax, is excommunicated," the Catholic said this for the newspaper "Die Welt" (Friday). "You can deny the resurrection of Jesus, but then you are not suspended as a priest. Yet when it comes to money, it gets serious. This coupling of church membership and church tax must fall. "[How about suspending heretical priests, instead?]

Spaemann also welcomed the speeches held by the Pope on his visit to Germany and his plea for the Church's detachment from the world. "As Archbishop of Munich, Joseph Ratzinger once told me on a walk: You know, what the biggest problem of the Church in Germany is? She has too much money."

Link to Gloria.tv...

Robert Spaemann: Pope Francis Defends Catholic Tradition and Orthodoxy

Philosopher Robert Spaemann pins great hopes on the new Pope, criticized "modernists" in the church and welcomed people leaving the church, who reject the Catholic doctrine 

Berlin (kath.net) The well-known philosopher Robert Spaemann has warned in a recent interview with the "Junge Freiheit” of  an impending  church revolt and a split from Rome that is reminiscent of the historic anti-Roman affect which recalls the dualism of the Emperor and the Pope. "The secularization trend is worldwide, but where there is such a thing as the Central Committee of German Catholics, which is financed from church taxes? Fact is that in a Curia Bishop or private secretary of Pope hardly has the chance that a German cathedral would accept him as diocesan bishop" says Spaemann.  For him  it is also clear that the de-Catholicisation is a result of de-Christianization and that Protestantism will erode faster.

Surprising the process was not. The philosopher remembered this referring to the letter to Timothy, in which the "great apostasy" was the speech and of times when the people will not endure sound doctrine. "The people want a 'Wellness' religion." But, as CS Lewis says, if the question is, which religion is the most pleasant, he would not recommend Christianity. And he adds, that can be accomplished 'also a by bottle of port,’" says Spaemann.

Secession from Rome is still nothing better than an evaporation of Christianity. He himself, however, considers that "gradual erosion” is more likely, as a schism will probably be prevented by the church tax system. “The “modernists" in the Church who have already left are specifically continuing in the way of the Evangelical Church (Protestant Church in Germany). Because there you can find almost all of their demands fulfilled already. But they do not want to leave," said Spaemann. The reason is that we would not even now like to leave the fleshpots of Egypt. "More precisely, these groups represent in the Catholic Church which is something that they could no longer represent if they were Protestant and they benefit from the church tax, since they are funded by the official Church. '." He personally welcome the release of people who reject the Catholic doctrine and can have nothing to do with the Catholic Church.

The Catholic philosopher criticized then the usual “Liberal reform agenda”.  In this, the issue of the Christian faith, doesn’t even enter into it. Instead, it is about sexuality, "gender", ecumenism, democratization etc. "It may not be a trivial question, but it certainly is not the last question." Who talks about these, must be bored by most of the demands for reform. So it is with the questions of the relationship with God, to intellect, salvation, hope, salvation, eternal life, eternal death." A Catholic liberalism doesn’t attract the intellect, though he find pertinent applause. "Martin Mosebach writes that in his youth, in the society of his parents, a reform of the Liturgy of the Mass - the abolition of the Latin, etc. -. seemed absolutely imperative.  But then there was no longer a reason to go to Mass," said the philosopher. Reform of the Church had to be spiritual in nature. It must lead you to be more needful of it.

Robert Spaemann declared at the end of the interview that he also had high hopes for the new Pope Francis.  Spaemann writes to the "Junge Freiheit” in his own words: "On the one hand is a pope in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, who cares so particularly about nature and the poor and at the same time defends the Catholic tradition and orthodoxy, it is not as easy to disparage as "reactionary", as was the case with the thinker Benedict XVI.  unfortunately.

Incidentally, the "Cardinal of the poor", as he was called in Buenos Aires, was no friend at all the so-called Liberation Theology. And: It is perhaps little known that St. Francis in his Testament, the priests of the Church  are ranged higher than the angels, which requires unconditional respect for them, as well as the greatest treasure being the place where the Eucharist is kept. From the shift to the poor a revival of spiritual perspective can be made, the perspective that is directed towards eternal life. “ 

Link to kath.net...

German Philosopher: The Council Enfeebled Catholics

Philosopher Robert Spaemann:  "Everything became so withered."

Berlin (kath.net/KNA) The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) had led in the sight of philosopher Robert Spaemann to "an epoch of decline" of the Catholic Church. "The Council enfeebled Catholics",  said Spaemann in a discussion with the newspaper "Die Welt" (Friday).  "Everything became so withered."  People who deny the resurrection of Christ, could remain theology professors and preach as priests during Mass.   People, who did not want to pay the Church-tax, fled at this and left the Church. "That's something that just can't be."

The Church Universal had become a part of the cultural revolution in western states and led to an "assimilation" of the Church to the secular world, criticized Spaemann.  The then Pope John XXIII. had called the reform Council given it over to update the Church's challenge to the world, "which it had always given and must always will give", said the philosopher.  "That is the opposite of assimilation."

Spaeman attested that the Council was exaggerated in its attempt to harmonize.  Everything was eliminated from the  hymn books which pointed to struggle and conflict.  "We wanted to bless the emancipatory and culturally revolutionary Zeitgeist."  The commandment "Love thy enemies" doesn't make sense any more today because the word "enemy" is offensive.  "For so-called progressive Catholics there is actually only one boogeyman:  the Traditionalist."

Spaemann also complained that the sovereignty of jurisdiction over the Council is held by innovators, who construed everything falsely.  So the Church Universal for example vehemently defends celibacy and confirms Latin as the actual Liturgical language of the Western Church. Both will be represented differently today, however.

Link to kath.net...

German Philosopher Wants Blasphemy Law

Robert Spaemann calls out the blasphemy law:  "The denial of the murder of six million Jews should be as small a crime as the denial of the crucifixion of Jesus in the Koran."

(kreuz.net)  The German courts are mute abou the religious people that can be publicly mocked with impunity.  The German philosopher, Robert Spaemann criticized the German daily newspaper 'Frankfurter Allgemeine'.

It's rare to find a judge who will punish one who insults religions.

That's even more valid than defamation, which disturbs "public peace", said Spaemann critically.

"That means in German: Only the Muslim religion enjoys the protection of the law, not Christian."

After all, the Muslims defend their religion, unlike the Christians, by force.

Botched Argumentation

Spaemann desires a blaphemy paragraph which doesn't defend the honor of God, but rather the feelings of the faithful.

In secular law things only deal with the person.  God -- who protects all -- doesn't apparently need any defense.

But: "People must be protected, whom God approaches, people who believe in God."

They would be commonly insulted with their religion -- "more deeply and seriously than through the insult to their own person".  Because: "God is holy to them".


Protect the holy, not those who honor it

Blasphemy, Spaemann observes is apparently not an official transgression, where it doesn't matter whether anyone is really offended.  It requires a plaintiff.  But having his feelings offended, should not be the only criterion, because it would reward an absurd sensitivity.

As a solution Spaemann naively trusts in "a measured room for play".  That is valid for every insult.


The Holocaust as the most holy of the secular muzzle Republic

The Philosopher explained that the secular German State, despite its religious neutrality in the German "genocide of the Jews" recognizes a quasi sacrality "like the crucifixion of Jesus".

The "denial of the murder of six million Jews" should be as punishable, says Spaemann --  even as little "as the denial of the crucifixion of Jesus for example in the Koran".

Holocaust denial is "simply a false statement of facts":  "Yet for questions of truth, however, the state is not the decisive entity."

The ridicule of the victim is something Spaemann "holds as an objective defamation, which may not be punished under the law".

Actually, distinguishing the death of Jesus from the murder of the Jews, there is apparently "in no way ascribed a salvific character", believes the philosopher.

Link to kreuz.net....