A petition to reinstate Professor Hans Küng as a Catholic theologian.

Nessan Vaughan has helped initiate a petition to reinstate Professor Hans Küng as a Catholic theologian. It has been published on several church reform groups’ websites and has already received a significant level of support from priests, lay people and theologians.
Text of petition to Pope Francis:

Dear Pope Francis,

Catholic Church Reform International’s mission is to activate and strengthen the voice of the People of God in order to reform injustices and inequalities in Church teaching and practice, which inhibits relationship with God.

In keeping with Canon Law 212 §2 and §3, and  your expressed wish, all baptized Christians have the right to speak openly about their concerns for our Church. We regard Fr Hans Küng, a renowned and respected theologian, to be preeminently competent in this regard.

Fr Küng is 88 years old and over his lifetime has made an extensive contribution to interpreting the significance and uniqueness of Christ. In doing so over many decades he has demonstrated a deep love for the Church and for the truth. He remains a Ministerial Priest in good standing. However, his license to teach as a Catholic theologian was withdrawn many years ago.

We ask that we do not wait until years after his death to reinstate him, as was the case with Galileo, Teilhard de Chardin, and other distinguished Fathers of the past.

Pope Francis, we earnestly and respectfully urge you to reinstate him now.

 

Nessan is appealing for widespread publication of the petition that can be accessed below.
http://www.catholicchurchreform.org/216/index.php/get-involved/letters-to-the-pope/118-petition-to-reinstate-hans-kueng
 

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Andrea Tornielli writes in http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it about the regulations concerning the retirement of bishops.
Of note is the statement that “Worthy of the church’s appreciation is the gesture of one who, motivated by love and the desire for a better service to the community, believes it is necessary because of ill health or other serious reason to renounce his office as pastor before reaching the age of 75.”
Is this something priests should consider as a realistic alternative to taking on more and more duties as they grow older and colleagues die. Might it be the only way to force everyone to realistically confront the issue of the ever reducing number of priests?

3 Comments

  1. In a posting I made on the ACP site on October 12th 2013-which was in fact a review of Kung’s new book “Can the catholic church survive?” – I concluded with this comment:
    “A most significant and charitable action towards Kung would be for Francis to restore Kung’s credentials as a Catholic Teacher who, throughout these difficult years has remained a priest in good standing. The restoration of Teilhard de Chardin only came after his death. It would be a pity if history were to repeat itself.”
    I made a similar comment recently in an article in the Catholic Times on the occasion of his birthday.
    Further, in an article in the Dominican Journal SPIRITUALITY in December last year, I developed the argument:
    “Hans Kung is now in his late 80s and in recent years has not enjoyed good health. What a gesture of generosity it would be, recognising his significant contribution to the Council and the post-Conciliar years, were his teaching credentials to be restored. Throughout these difficult years, he has remained a priest in good standing with the Church and there has never been any suggestion of parting company with the See of Peter.”
    The current petition deserves our support.

    Reply

  2. How dreadfully sad it is…that the People of God…have to organize PETITIONS…in order to be MAYBE…listened to….

    Reply
  3. Richard O'Donnell says:

    “No one can be condemned for ever, be­cause that is not the logic of the Gospel!”
    “Here I am not speaking only of the divorced and re­married, but of everyone, in whatever situation they find themselves.”
    Perhaps this Pope Francis might act on his own words quoted above.

    Reply

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