… by this. While some German Christian Democrats only asked the Pope to abolish celibacy for priests, 144 German *Catholic* s.l. theology professors (that’s one third of the total) demand ‘open dialogue’ on, among other things:
- abolishion of celibacy for priests
- ordination of women
- no longer ‘excluding’ remarried divorcees and active homosexuals
- abolition of any liturgy worth that name (pardon: no centralised unification in liturgical matters preventing the inclusion of the experiences and modes of expression of today, and whatnot, in liturgy)
- the Church begging pardon for her sins, which include ‘perverting the bibilical message of freedom into a rigorous morality without mercy’
Full text and all 144 names here (in German).
Laodicea 
February 4, 2011 at 6:37 pm
I’m not surprised you’re speechless. I’d be interested to know how many Catholic theologians in the UK (in universities, seminaries or religious orders) are in sympathy (whether openly or privately) with their German colleagues. A similar proportion, I would guess.
February 4, 2011 at 8:27 pm
*cries*
February 4, 2011 at 10:59 pm
I know! But luckily we can trust in God that He will care for His Church, and that all those whom He has called will be saved notwithstanding any attacks on the Church from within and without.
Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!
February 4, 2011 at 10:56 pm
There is one very acid German-language “conservative” Catholic news website which I really cannot get myself to read. However, an article of their’s on the news item above was popping up when I looked for some more detail. They think it good news that only one third of the theology professors signed, given that hardly anyone but a screaming liberal – in this website’s opinion – gets that far in theological academia in Germany anyway.
February 4, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Poll on the ARD (principal public service broadcaster in Germany): of 12.000 who voted, 88 % were in favour, and 11 % against the stuff written in the memorandum. Probably the majority of voters are non-Catholics / non-practicing Catholics anyway (apparently always most bent on reforming the Church). – Given that on any Sunday, about 6 % of the German Catholic population go to Mass, is this a good or a bad result?
February 5, 2011 at 12:57 am
These so called Catholic Theologians should be stripped of the description “Catholic” they are liberal Protestants and should be “out and proud” about their theological orientation instead of hidding in the sacristy closet!
February 5, 2011 at 10:35 am
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February 5, 2011 at 1:56 pm
greetings by
greetings by
feel free to discuss it there, I’ve written bilingual, German and English …
February 5, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Also crying…
Yesterday was a bad day for me anyway (work, life, and everything). And when I read this (I only read the headline, couldn’t get myself to reading the whole article), I immediately had the vision in my head that the majority of Catholics in Germany will soon seperate themselves from the Pope and Rome, forming a new “Liberated Catholic Church”, taking over all the church buildings and leaving a few sad Roman Catholics behind. Normally I am not that pessimistic!
WHY are intelligent, educated theologians thinking like that??? I don’t believe they are all evil in their hearts. But on the other hand they cannot be so stupid???
Okay, I think I should stop complaining and start praying instead. Unfortunately, complaining is so much easier… And I have to find this poll on the ARD and vote for the right side.
February 5, 2011 at 6:51 pm
http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/theologen102.html
February 5, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Thank you 🙂
Could everybody please click on the link, scroll to the bottom, and click “Nein”? If all 16000 readers of this blog could do so, we would change the result 🙂
February 5, 2011 at 8:00 pm
thanks for the link, but I voted for JA (=yes) not for NEIN (=no); I’ve made a poll, if the Catholic church should change some rules, especially related to celibacy, in English language in my article http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/clerical-celibacy/
feel free to click NO or YES, I hope I am free too …
February 5, 2011 at 10:13 pm
No you are not free.
“Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.”
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_22051994_ordinatio-sacerdotalis_en.html
February 6, 2011 at 8:11 am
every human being IS free to say YES or NO.
February 6, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Faith is the assent of the intellect to truth received through the senses from an external source on account of the authority of God Who can neither deceive nor be deceived. By definition the medium by which that truth is transmitted must be living and infallible otherwise the assent of faith is not possible only human opinion. When the Pope speaks definitively the choice with which you are left is either to assent or to apostatize. There is no third option. As Christ says “he who hears you hears Me” Luke 10:16.
February 7, 2011 at 5:51 pm
“Neither living nor lifeless faith remains in a heretic who disbelieves one article of faith.”
Aquinas: ST IIa IIae 5, 3
February 9, 2011 at 9:51 pm
There is a reaction:
http://petitionproecclesia.wordpress.com/
440 supporters in 48 hours…