Dear Bishops,
Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, and I were among 1962 1965 two young theologians of the council. Now, we are both the oldest and the only ones that remain fully active. I've always understood my theological work also as a service to the Church. So, worried by this our Church, mired in deep crisis of confidence since the Reformation, I address a letter open on the fifth anniversary of access to pontificate of Benedict XVI. I have no possibility to reach you.
I appreciated that Pope Benedict soon after his election, invited me, his critic, to a four-hour conversation, which ran amicably. At that time, that made me conceive the hope that Joseph Ratzinger, my former colleague at the University of Tubingen, yet find the way to a major renovation of the Church and ecumenical understanding in the spirit of Vatican II.
My hopes, and so many committed Catholics and Catholic unfortunately have not been met, which I have made known to Pope Benedict in various forms in our correspondence. It certainly has conscientiously fulfilled its obligations daily papal and has given us three useful encyclical on faith, hope and love. But when it comes to the great challenges of our time, presents his pontificate more and more like that of missed opportunities, not like the chances exploited:
- He has squandered the opportunity for a lasting understanding with the Jews, the pope reintroduce the pre-conciliar prayer which calls for the illumination of the Jews and readmitted into the Church schismatic bishops notoriously anti-Semitic, promotes the beatification of Pius XII and only takes seriously the historical roots of Judaism and Christianity, not as a faith community that continues and has its own path to salvation. Jews around the world have been outraged by the papal preacher to the papal liturgy of Good Friday, in which he compared the criticism the Pope with anti-Semitic persecution.
- He has squandered the opportunity of dialogue with Muslims trust, is symptomatic of Benedict's speech in Regensburg, in which, misled, caricatured Islam as religion of violence and inhumanity, and the lasting allying distrust of Muslims.
- He has squandered the opportunity of reconciliation with indigenous peoples colonized Latin America: Pope says in all seriousness that they "craved" the religion of their European conquerors.
- He has squandered the opportunity to help African peoples in the fight against overpopulation by adopting methods contraceptives, and the fight against AIDS, recognizing the use of condoms.
- He has squandered the opportunity to reach peace with the modern sciences, clearly recognizing the theory of evolution and adopting a differentiated new areas of research, like stem cells.
- He has squandered the opportunity to also make the Vatican, finally, the spirit of Vatican II the compass of the Catholic Church, promoting its reforms.
This last point, dear bishops, is particularly serious. Again and again, this pope relativize the conciliar texts and interprets retrograde against the spirit parents' council. Even explicitly stands against the ecumenical council, which according to Canon Law is the supreme authority of the Catholic Church:
- has reinstated without conditions in the Church to the bishops of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, ordered illegally outside the Church Catholic and reject the council in central aspects.
- Supports all media medieval Tridentine Mass and he occasionally celebrates Mass in Latin and back to the faithful.
- No effect leads to an understanding with the Anglican Church signed in official ecumenical documents (ARCIC), but attempts to lure the Roman Catholic Church married Anglican priests to cease applying the vow of celibacy.
- has strengthened the powers contrary to the church council with the appointment of senior anticonciliarity (in the Secretary of State and the Congregation for the Liturgy, etc.) and reactionary bishops worldwide.
Pope Benedict XVI seems to move farther and farther from the vast majority of people in the Church, which anyway takes less and less of Rome and, at best, still identified with his parish local bishops.
I know some of you suffer for the fact that the Pope will see fully supported by the Roman curia anticonciliar policy. This attempts to stifle criticism in the Episcopate and in the Church and by all means to discredit critics. With its new exhibition of Baroque pomp and demonstrations gimmicky face the media, Rome is displaying a strong church with a "representative of Christ" absolutist, bringing together in his hand the legislative, executive and judicial. However, Benedict's restoration policy has failed. All his public appearances and travel documents are not able to modify the effect of the Roman doctrine of the majority position of Catholics in controversial issues, especially on sexual morality. Even the papal meetings with youth, the attending particularly charismatic conservative groups, can slow the drop of the Church or wake up priestly vocations.
You yourselves, as bishops, the deep lament, from the council tens of thousands of bishops have abandoned their vocation, especially because the law of celibacy. The priestly renewal, but also the members of the orders, sisters and lay brothers, dropped both quantitatively and qualitatively. The resignation and frustration spread among the clergy, precisely among the most active members of the Church. Many feel abandoned in their needs and suffering for the Church. That may be the case in many of your dioceses: more and more churches, seminaries and parishes empty. In some countries, due to the shortage of priests, pretends to reform the Church and parishes are merged, often against their will, forming gigantic "pastoral units" in which the few priests are completely overwhelmed.
And now, the many trends crisis has added scandals that cry to heaven, especially the abuse of thousands of children and young people by clergy, U.S., Ireland, Germany and other countries, all linked to a crisis leadership and confidence without precedent. You can not mute the concealment system enacted worldwide before the clergy sex crimes was led by the Roman Congregation for the Faith Cardinal Ratzinger (1981-2005), which under John Paul II and was collected the cases under the strictest secrecy. As late as May 18, 2001, Ratzinger sent a formal letter on the most serious crimes (crimes Epistula gravioribus ) to all bishops. In it, the abuses were placed under the secretum Pontificium , whose breach may attract severe canonical penalties. Rightly, then, many requiring the then governor and now Pope a personal mea culpa. However, Easter has lost the chance. Instead of this, Palm Sunday moved the dean of the College of Cardinals to lift urbi et orbi testimony of his innocence.
The consequences of all these scandals to the reputation of the Catholic Church are devastating. This is also confirmed as high-ranking dignitaries. Countless priests and teachers of young and highly committed blameless suffering under a general suspicion. You, dear bishops ought to pose the question of how they will be in the future things in our church and in your diocese. However, there would sketch a reform program, we already have done repeatedly before and after the council. Only querría plantearos seis propuestas que, es mi convicción, serán respaldadas por millones de católicos que carecen de voz.
1. No callar: en vista de tantas y tan graves irregularidades, el silencio os hace cómplices. Allí donde consideréis que determinadas leyes, disposiciones y medidas son contraproducentes, deberíais, por el contrario, expresarlo con la mayor franqueza. ¡No enviéis a Roma declaraciones de sumisión, sino demandas de reforma!
2. Acometer reformas: en la Iglesia y en el episcopado son muchos los que se quejan de Roma, sin que ellos mismos hagan algo. Pero hoy, cuando en una diócesis o parroquia no se acude a misa, la labor pastoral is ineffective, openness to the needs of the limited or minimal cooperation, guilt can not be discharged without further on Rome. Bishop, priest or layperson, each and every one have to do something for the renewal of the Church's vital area, whether major or minor. Many great things in the parishes and the whole Church has been established through the initiative of individuals or small groups. As bishops, we must support and encourage such initiatives and to address right now justified complaints of the faithful.
3. Acting collectively : after a lively debate and against the continued opposition of the Curia, the council decreed the collegiality of the pope and the bishops the meaning of Acts, where Peter not act without the apostolic college. However, in the post-conciliar era Popes and the Curia have ignored the central decision of the council. Since Pope Paul VI, and two years of the council, published an encyclical to the defense of the controversial law of celibacy, they returned to the papal doctrine and policy to the old style, not licensed. Even in the liturgy presents the Pope as an autocrat, as opposed to the bishops, who likes to surround himself appear as extras disenfranchised. Therefore, you should not, dear bishops, acting only as individuals but in community with other bishops, the priests and the people of the Church, men and women.
4. unlimited obedience is due only to God: all of you, in the solemn consecration of bishops, have rendered to the pope a vow of obedience unlimited. But know also that one should never unlimited obedience to human authority, only God. Therefore, your vote will not prevent you tell the truth about the current crisis in the Church, your diocese and your countries. Following around the example of the Apostle Paul, who faced Pedro and had to "tell on the face that was acting condemned" (Gal 2, 11)! Pressure on the Roman authorities in the spirit of brotherhood Christian can be legitimate when they are inconsistent with the spirit of the Gospel and its message. The use of the vernacular in the liturgy, to amend the provisions on mixed marriages, the affirmation of tolerance, democracy, human rights, ecumenical understanding and many other things have been achieved only by the persistent pressure from below.
5. aspire to regional solutions: it is common that the Vatican turn a deaf ear to justified demands of the episcopate, priests and laity. All the more reason should aim to achieve regional solutions intelligently. A particularly thorny problem, as you know, is the law of celibacy, from the Middle Ages and is rightly being questioned around the world precisely in the context of sexual abuse scandals. An amendment against the will of Rome seems almost impossible. However, this does not condemn us to passivity: a priest who after mature reflection think marriage does not automatically have to give your state if the bishop and the community support him. Some bishops' conferences could proceed with a regional solution, although it would be best hope for a solution to the Church as a whole. Therefore:
6. Require council, and an ecumenical council was required to the realization of the liturgical reform, religious freedom, ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, the same applies as to solve the problem of reform, which has now burst dramatically. The reform council of Constance in the century before the Reformation decided to hold councils every five years, a provision which, however, derided the Roman curia. No doubt this will do now what it can to prevent a council to be afraid to limit their power. In all of you is the responsibility of imposing a council or at least an episcopal synod representative.
The appeal that I address in view of the Church in crisis, dear bishops, is that you put in the balance of episcopal authority, revalued by the council. In this situation of need, the world's eyes are on you. Countless people have lost confidence in the Catholic Church. To retrieve only valid address in a frank and honest the problems and resulting improvements. I ask, with all due respect, that you can contribute with what belongs to you, wherever possible in cooperation with the rest of the bishops, but, if necessary, also alone, with "courage" apostolic (Acts 4, 29-31 .) Give your faithful signs of hope and encouragement and our church perspective.
greet you in the fellowship of the Christian faith Hans Küng .