Nomen est omen -- Rahner Calls For Women Priests

From Rahner to Rahner

(Tübingen) The German theologian Johanna Rahner considers “women priests" in the Catholic Church as "possible", which when translated means that "priestesses" are desired.  Rahner took over the chair of Dogmatic Theology, History of Economic Thought and Ecumenical Theology at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, which Hans Küng held until 1996. The inaugural lecture takes place on Thursday.

Nomen est omen: Johanna Rahner is related to the theologian Karl Rahner (1904-1984), who is supposed to have put his stamp on the so-called conciliar spirit. The theologian who was  welcomed by the Central Committee German Catholics, was previously Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Kassel. In addition to "priestesses" Rahner calls for a “renewed dogmatic theology” in the issue of the weekly newspaper Die Zeit. 

Church a "Chaste Whore" - Priestesses as an Act of Equality

 Rahner said, "I want to open the classical dogma to the outside. We can simply assimilate  people to the rules, but the rules need to be understood humanly."  In this context, the theologian said also:  “... When the Church shuns the world, it is esoteric.”  Her understanding of the Catholic Church  brought Johanna Rahner at one point  to see the Church as a "chaste whore."

"The apostles themselves may have been male,”  but this in no way prevents the Church today,  according to Johanna Rahner, from introducing "priestesses". "Male Apostles are therefore a weak argument against women's ordination,” said the theologian.

Blessing of Homo-pairs and Recognition of a “Second Marriage"

At the same time Rahner called for the blessing of homosexual couples in and through the Church and called for the admission of divorced remarried to the sacraments and the recognition of the second marriage. "When the Guilty Will recognized the sins against his first marriage, a second marriage is possible,” said Rahner in a quote from Die Zeit.

"Enlightened" Theologian “Prefers Half-empty Churches"

Citing Pope Francis, Rahner sees herself in the tradition of "enlightened Christianity" of the West, for which also always has a “but” for every “Amen”. For without doubt there is no faith. Rahner also sees the emptying churches in Germany in a positive light: “I’d rather have half-empty churches with enlightened Catholics, than full Churches [in Africa and Latin America], exploiting the plight of the people."

"Heritage of the Reformation is a Common Heritage"

  Rahner also criticized the Protestants, that they can not define themselves as before, “without  referring to  Catholicism". At the same time she calls for a rapprochement between Protestants and Catholics, because: "The Heritage of the Reformation is a common heritage. (...) We should emphasize what is common. "

Institutional Equality for Women as a Way to Ordained Ministries

In 2011 Rahner held a presentation at the plenary session of ZdK. (Central German Catholics) In it she explained why the "use of an institutional equality of women perhaps could for the particular importance of the ordained ministry of women is not be negligible for the actual question  - precisely those questions of women in management positions, about  women in finance and decision-making powers , about  women in science and teaching, etc. "Rahner thus presented  the ZdK a strategy plan, which states, in other words: The demand for "institutional equality” of women in the Church is only a forerunner of the “actual" objective, to grasp the ordained ministries for women. The way there, said Rahner, should not be too long and patience should "not be overused, because time is short." So far we have "wasted almost 35 years with the lack of implementation of the preconditions. It is indeed high time,”  said the theological to the  ZdK General Assembly.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Wikicommons / church newspaper (screenshot and assembly)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches…

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Bishop Vorderholzer and the New “World Christian” of the “Climate Neutral” Katholikentag

(Regensburg) Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg is of the opinion that the term layman should be replaced by  “World Christian" in the parlance of the Church, which should mean as much as Christian in the world and Christian to the world. This would better reflect the teaching of the Second Vatican Council of role and mission of the laity.

Bishop Voderholzer, a new member of the Congregation of the Faith in Rome, considers that the term  "lay" for baptized but not consecrated Catholics, probably with a view to the universal priesthood,  to be discriminatory. The bishop made this statement  on 31 May at the Katholikentag, [Catholic Day] which was held in his diocese. That’s when a controversy arose  in the context of a discussion of the role of the laity in the Church. The organizer of the Catholic Conference is the  Central Committee German Catholics (ZdK).

The bi-annual Catholic Day serves as a platform for all Catholics of Germany, or at least nearly all.  The restriction is necessary because the big event is dominated by progressive to radical progressive groups. Those looking for a truly Catholic,   offer true to the faith,  will not find it at Katholikentag  right away. Seriously faithful Catholics  have disappeared  for several years from such new events, such as the Congress Joy of the Faith of the Forum of German Catholics or the Congress Meeting World Church or the Church in Need. The Katholikentag is primarily a diluted,  a disintegrating on the margins Catholic milieu that maintains its more anti-Roman sentiment, constantly talks about “structural" reforms "struktuelle" because  what it lacks in  content, it  compensates by  hyperactivity.

"Catholic Lesbian" Instead of Pro-Lifers

A glance at the program of the Katholikentag "in which the taboos fall” confirms  any apprehension. While the non-negotiable values ​​whose defense Pope Benedict XVI.  had urged  were at best marginally represented, there were "Catholic lesbians", "gay Catholics", "women against the celibacy" and other groups, by definition, anti-church groups who were given a lot of space. The ZdK supports the government bill for abortion counseling system of women determined to have an abortion, whose hypocritical government neutrality allowed  and accepted the funded killing machine. Bishop Voderholzer initially had refused the participation of the Association Donum Vitae following Rome’s guidance, but then quickly caved in before ZdK.  In a joint statement by Bishop and ZdK it was said:  "While maintaining different fundamental views" recommended by both sides, Donum Vitae will be allowed at Katholikentag. The position demanded by Cardinal Raymond Burke that Catholics be “uncompromising” Pro-lifers would be hard pressed to find at Katholikentag.  Zdk does not want to offend  the zeitgeist because shows   pro-lifers the door. Tellingly would therefore translated better as "Toothless German Catholics" ZdK, or more accurately with “Zeitgeisty German Catholics.” 

Some years ago the ZdK published  a declaration on the Jews, which states that Jews need neither Christ nor the Church, as they are already members of the Old Covenant which has never been repealed. Finally, a heresy, but above all a fraud against the Jews, who are deprived of  salvation.

Trying to Garner Applause

The question remains, what Bishop Voderholzer with his proposal would like to express exactly beyond activism and zeal for reform. Why should the terms "Catholic" and "Christian"  no longer be sufficient? Since the claim in the self-designation of Christian has always been universal and transcends all boundaries of nations and states, the complement appears as "World Christian” is just as bulky as  it is a superfluous pleonasm. Or should priests and religious who leave the battlefield in the world a new type "World Christian"? Will it be said that the consecrated representatives of the Church give up the fight for the non-negotiable values, and the final decision is left to the “worldly Christians"?

Ultimately, the proposal of Bishop Voderholzer seems a rather unsuccessful attempt to garner  applause from ZdK and other disaffected progressive laity.  Perhaps the anti-Church Association We are Church, which recently hit the headlines with the excommunication of its president Martha Heizer, is adopting  the proposal of the Bishop of Regensburg.

What remains of the Katholikentag  in Regensburg than to “to touch a bishop"? Despite the "new openness" with the "Francis" effect, which the ZdK conspicuously benevolent "welcomed", enter in the "mature Christians”, who will in the future be possibly named "World Christians", even after several days of Katholikentag are frustrated by the same “unresolved problems of the Church”. It’s a burden  that they do not get rid of, if they do not accept the Church's teachings in faith, but believe they are justified here and there bending it according to their wishes.   Bishop Voderholzer would have had a large audience, had he called upon some basic things of being a Christian to memory.  As an aside, and it is noted in passing on the  ZdK,  that a Holy Mass in the Old Rite was not allowed in the Katholikentag extravaganza despite its more than 1,000 events.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Corrispondenza Romana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link Katholisches…

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