Long-term associate of Pope attacks SSPX and calls for new Council

Cathcon note- Professor Dr Wolfgang Beinert is a Jesuit (no surprise there!) has known the Pope for fifty years, is a member of the Ratzinger Schulerkreis and succeeded to his chair in Regensburg. He does not see any objection to the ordination of women.

Given the "reform seizure" in the church emeritus Regensburg theologian Wolfgang Beinert believes "another council to be unavoidable". The current backlog of reforms was frozen by "centuries-old histories and historical constellations" and needed a comprehensive solution Beinert said in an interview with "Kathpress". He acknowledges that the future pope theoretically could use his own authority to bring about a big change, "but every pope is well advised to conform to the consensus of the bishops and so also to clearly express the will of the Church."The word council means nothing else in the final analysis.

The end of the current debates about church reform was according to Beinert therefore not yet in sight. Therefore there is time pressure because the window of opportunity for these reform models especially on the question of the much-needed young priestly vocations is closing.

Nobody wants to be a "vir probatus"

He currently knows a few men who as "viri probati" could take over (married, men of proven qualities) a priestly ministry. "But I know just as sure, their sons would not do that in the next generation - because you can highly praise the 'viri probati' as much as you want - there will be no more." said Beinert (Cathcon- he maintains that, in constrast, to the East, a married priesthood would not produce priests in succeeding generations- a good reason for not accepting it in the West while this sociology prevails).

Regarding the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) Beinert told Kathpress about unfulfilled potential - such as the collegiality of the bishops, in "Solidarity and Compassion" of Christians to non-believers and ecclesial understanding: The council have finally underlined " Communio "- Community – as a structured understanding, the sense of the faith of the faithful (" sensus fidelium ") and turned “against centralism and authoritarianism ". Since the Council, however, in the church a "barricade" mentality and a new fear has prevailed, "you could get too committed to the contemporary." The "aggiornamento" of the council had "not been widely implemented," said Beinert.

Beinert evaluated in this context exceptionally positively the person and role of the late Viennese archbishop, Cardinal Franz König. König was "a conservative man," (Cathcon- speechless about this ludicrous description) in the sense "that he wanted to preserve what is of the nature of faith" - but he was not however conservative in the context of making contemporary the faith and its modern expression. Beinert's conclusion: "I think you can call the Cardinal König undoubtedly one of the most important figures of the 20th century church." (Cathcon- met him once- quite charming- but charming is no guarantee of grace).

Beinert expected no progress in the near future in view of the negotiations between the Vatican and SSPX. Despite more than three years of talks, have shown that the quality of the theological statements of the SSPX are "unsuitable" "to build a solid bridge." (Cathcon- oh, really!)

That the Vatican dialogue proceeds intensively with such a relatively small group is necessary in the struggle for religious unity, Beinert further said. Finally, there is a "formative experience of the Church", namely that "right-wing groups like the SSPX" always were "prone to divisions." He would go so far as to assert that "all heresies in the church came from the right, not one from the left," said Beinert. The left-Catholic wing were neither ultimately community-forming or have had "a church-building power", as this carries the risk of the formation of an Episcopally run parallel church as was the case with the SSPX.

The Regensburg dogmatist was at the invitation of the Vienna "Theology Courses" recently in Vienna, where he lectured on among other matters on the dialogue with the SSPX and the Council.
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