tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post8171351154123091135..comments2024-03-25T13:40:30.747-04:00Comments on Faith and Theology: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the FaithBen Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800127501735910966noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-20962054961142670912007-06-21T17:07:00.000-04:002007-06-21T17:07:00.000-04:00Interesting.Of course, I tend to have a much more ...Interesting.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I tend to have a much more positive view of JPII and BXVI's implementation of the Council. I wonder which specific aspects the commenters think are "rolling back the gains of Vatican II."PresterJoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17933589009026049480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-78987222963497196222007-06-21T17:06:00.000-04:002007-06-21T17:06:00.000-04:00Ha. I see a one-sided reading of Vatican II that I...Ha. I see a one-sided reading of Vatican II that I haven't seen since the naive 70s. <BR/><BR/>Of course, Vatican II was not merely an aggiornamento (a reaction to outside forces in order to bring things up to date or respond to liberal concerns), but also and even more, a ressourcement - the culmination of a tremendous ferment within the Catholica: above all the work of Charles Peguy, but also Guardini, de Lubac, Balthasar, Ratzinger, Scola, Communio, etc. <BR/><BR/>I prefer the real <A HREF="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.communio-icr.com%2Farticles%2FPDF%2Fratzinger25-3.pdf&ei=1eZ6RunyOpDYigHpxeyZDQ&usg=AFQjCNEkdgcSBRHAfCDSTH3M7sOBCLcDWQ&sig2=oQ0BRSdpaljYGxaH9Iys0Q" REL="nofollow">Ratzinger</A> to the bogeyman constructed by John Allen (in his first biography) as the nightmare of anti-liberalism.<BR/><BR/>FredFredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01262662173303042998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-86032692320567568112007-06-21T13:16:00.000-04:002007-06-21T13:16:00.000-04:00There have been suggestions that Ratzinger actuall...There have been suggestions that Ratzinger actually functioned as a moderating influence on JPII, e.g. in persuading him not to declare Humanae Vitae infallible!<BR/><BR/>Whatever the case may be, and despite all sorts of hesitations, I'm still inclined to see him (rather to my surprise) as a distinct improvement on JPII, if only because he lessened the personality cult aspect of the papacy and is less inclined to project his personal devotions as part of Catholic identity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-55284997126171629812007-06-21T09:55:00.000-04:002007-06-21T09:55:00.000-04:00Dan said that some of the blame for rolling back V...Dan said that some of the blame for rolling back Vatican II must be placed on John Paul II. Even though I had far more respect (as an outsider from the Radical Reformation) for that pope than this one, I have to agree--especially in his selection of bishops and in his treatment of liberation theologians. But even there, JPII was constantly being "advised" by Ratzinger. So, in our hoping for change in Benedict XVI, maybe we should ask "to whom does this pope turn for advice?"<BR/><BR/>On a different note, the list of major Catholic theologians who signed this petition was impressive. I hope they don't all suddenly find themselves on the receiving end of Vatican wrath!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-82209194665222385162007-06-21T08:17:00.000-04:002007-06-21T08:17:00.000-04:00"... although becoming pope can do strange and won..."... although becoming pope can do strange and wonderful things to a person." Thanks, Dan -- that delightful observation just made my day!Ben Myershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03800127501735910966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-62372786475213449982007-06-21T08:14:00.000-04:002007-06-21T08:14:00.000-04:00I'm with MW-W on this one, although becoming pope ...I'm with MW-W on this one, although becoming pope can do strange and wonderful things to a person. Perhaps this old dog (God's Rottweiler!) still has some new tricks in him. Let's hope so.<BR/><BR/>(Also, I think we can't put <I>all</I> the blame on Ratzinger for rolling back the gains of Vatican II, at least <I>some</I> of the blame must be placed on the shoulders of JPII.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1150001150205924582007-06-21T03:27:00.000-04:002007-06-21T03:27:00.000-04:00Ah, yes, the annus mirabilis of 1968 - the year Ra...Ah, yes, the <I>annus mirabilis</I> of 1968 - the year Ratzinger freaked out over the student unrest at Tübingin and would later describe as "terror".<BR/><BR/>In his biography <I>Pope Benedict XVI</I> (2000, 2005), John L. Allen, Jr. observes: "In the imagination of some liberal critics, Ratzinger's life story would make a script worthy of George Lucas: the young Jedi Knight who went over to the Dark Side of the Force."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-65683878083870360462007-06-21T03:11:00.000-04:002007-06-21T03:11:00.000-04:00Michael,I am no fan of Ratzinger, but Benedict XVI...Michael,<BR/>I am no fan of Ratzinger, but Benedict XVI has at least given some signs of being a different person and has not confirmed some of my initial fears at his election. So I also hope - and not entirely without reason - that you are wrong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-18407280700134819412007-06-20T23:22:00.000-04:002007-06-20T23:22:00.000-04:00Let's see, here is a chance for Pope Benedict, the...Let's see, here is a chance for Pope Benedict, the former Cardinal Ratzinger, who used the Congregation's powers to greatly harm some of the greatest Catholic scholars of our time, to correct that. I can't see him doing it.<BR/><BR/>But for the sake of the suffering of Hans Kung, Charles Curran, Richard McCormick, Leonardo Boff, Jon Sobrino--and SO many others, I hope I am wrong. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, successor to the Inquisition, has been the tool that Ratzinger used to hinder and largely roll back the gains of Vatican II. Will he actually consider reforming this office? I cannot see it.<BR/><BR/>I have feared that the election of Ratzinger to the papacy has been the greatest setback of internal Catholic reform since the mysterious death of John Paul I (who was set to be a VERY liberal pope and would probably have set aside <I>Humanae Vitae</I> and permitted artificial birth control). I hope I am wrong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com