A young Cardinal speaks
July 11, 2012, 11:10 am
Posted by Joseph A. Komonchak
Rainer Maria Woekli is the Archbishop of Berlin and the youngest member of the College of Cardinals. In a recent interview he gave some sensible and sensitive responses about a number of matters in the life of the Catholic Church today, among them the Vatileaks scandal and the pastoral care of homosexuals and divorced and remarried Catholics. An English translation can be found here; the German original here.
http://cathcon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/worlds-youngest-cardinal-equates.html
http://www.zeit.de/2012/27/Vatilieaks-Woelki
Rainer Maria Woekli is the Archbishop of Berlin and the youngest member of the College of Cardinals. In a recent interview he gave some sensible and sensitive responses about a number of matters in the life of the Catholic Church today, among them the Vatileaks scandal and the pastoral care of homosexuals and of divorced and remarried Catholics. An English translation can be found here; the German original here.
Refreshing!
Thanks, Fr. Komonchak.
Somehow a few weeks ago I stumbled across and read a 1972 article by then Father Joseph Ratzinger about communion for the remarried that prepared me not to be surprised that he himself gave communion to someone who was divorced and remarried.
Here is S. Magister’s article on Benedict’s 1998 article on divorce, communion and remarriage which Benedict has re-published.
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350098?eng=y
The Magister article links to Benedict’s.
Don’t hold your breath!
How could Woekli rise to the rank of Cardinal Archbishop of Berlin without the support of the most reactionary conservatives in the curia, especially Ratzinger?
How could Woekli turn his back on his patroni so easily, so quickly after having risen to the top of the heap?
I like all that “single-candle-in-the-darkness” kind of sentiment, but let’s get real.
Somehow, I don’t have the feeling that Bishop Woekli would be likely to require volunteer parish religious education teachers to sign the “Profession of Faith” mailed by the diocese of Arlington (VA) in May.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/r/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/07/11/Local/Graphics/BishopLetter.pdf
It appears to be the same text that Ad Tuendum Fidem requires university level teachers of faith and morals to sign.
However, Arlington seems to have an expansive view of what it requires religious education teachers to believe According to today’s Washington Post:
The Arlington “profession of faith” asks teachers to commit to “believe everything” the bishops characterize as divinely revealed, and Arlington’s top doctrine official said it would include things like the bishops’ recent campaign against a White House mandate that most employers offer contraception coverage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/sunday-school-teachers-balk-at-oath-agreeing-to-all-church-teachings/2012/07/11/gJQAcAvGeW_story.html
“The Arlington “profession of faith” asks teachers to commit to “believe everything” the bishops characterize as divinely revealed, and Arlington’s top doctrine official said it would include things like the bishops’ recent campaign against a White House mandate that most employers offer contraception coverage.”
Putting the doctrinal controversies aside, what kind of arrogant ass would posit their position on employer-sponsored health insurance as “divinely revealed”? I know God notices when even a sparrow falls, but He’s weighing in on Federal rule-making?
Sorry, back to the point of the thread, the young Cardinal sounds encouraging.
Paul Vi was often called a Hamlet for not making up his mind. Benedict also seems to be of two minds about some things, as does thing young cardinal as well as Schoenbrun, an old one. But how could they not be Hamlets when confronted with the sometime Church teaching that Church teachings never change and the historical evidence that some of them have changed. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
Does anyone know whether “Rainer Maria” is a common juxtaposition of names in the Cardinal’s generation? Could if have been given as homage to the poet Rilke?
I don’t know anything about German given names in the 1950′s, but Rilke’s first name was René. He started calling himself Rainer in his twenties, at the urging of his muse.
According to the Wikipedia Rilke’s friend Lou Andreas Salome thought “Rainer” was more manly than “Rene”.