Catholic theologian preaches revolution to end church's 'authoritarian' rule

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/05/catholic-revolution-nazi-dictatorship-pope


Hans Küng: appeal to priests and churchgoers to confront the Catholic hierarchy. Photograph: returned

One of the world's most prominent Catholic theologians has called for a revolution from below to unseat the pope and force radical reform at the Vatican.

Hans Küng is appealing to priests and churchgoers to confront the Catholic hierarchy, which he says is corrupt, lacking credibility and apathetic to the real concerns of the church's members.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Küng, who had close contact with the pope when the two worked together as young theologians, described the church as an "authoritarian system" with parallels to Germany's Nazi dictatorship.

"The unconditional obedience demanded of bishops who swear their allegiance to the pope when they make their holy oath is almost as extreme as that of the German generals who were forced to swear an oath of allegiance to Hitler," he said.

[edhopper]

1. What I don't understand

is why Catholics who hold their christian faith, but no longer believe in the Vatican hierarchy, don't follow Martin Luther and leave the church. I am sure there are many denominations they would feel good about.
I am not being sarcastic, I really don't understand this. The Catholic Church has always been this way, for millennium. If you want a more egalitarian church, there are many around, and there is no penalty these days, like death and torture, for changing churches.

[rug]

2. This is how I see it.

Religion is not a pair of socks that are changed when they start to stink.

The Catholic Church over two millenia has acquired structures, organizations and political views that are more a reflection on the world it inhabits than the core religious teachings and, yes, sacraments.

In essence, Catholics believe the Church and the sacraments were established by Jesus as a means for humans to learn about him, gather together and draw closer to God and each other.

That's it.

It is not about the Papal States, Pepin's Donation, the Crusades, sex and other scandals through the centuries, or the embarassment of the month.

All of that can and should be rigorously opposed, which Kung has done for a half century.

In the end, simply changing organizations, all of which have problems of their own, is not a solution.

IMHO.

[edhopper]

4. Thanks

[okasha]

3. It's good to see

that he's refused to be silenced, despite JPII's decree.