Synodality designed to rescue the Council from being a museum piece

Father Batlogg is a Jesuit.  Given the preponderance of Jesuits among the Synodalist clerics of Jesuits, it is easy to see the Synod as a Jesuit tool. The Jesuits are much the most modernist and decadent of all the religious orders and they are projecting this onto the whole Church.

"One of the greats has gone": Father Batlogg pays tribute to council witness Krätzl#

Council expert on late Viennese auxiliary bishop: He not only remembered the Council, but he pointed out where it had not yet been implemented and where there was "untapped potential"

The Jesuit and Council expert Fr Andreas Batlogg paid tribute to the late Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna, Helmut Krätzl, as one of the last prominent Council witnesses, for whom the Council was at the same time an important and, above all, open concern up to the present day. Krätzl had experienced the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) for a time as a Council stenographer and later published widely acclaimed books on what he considered to be the insufficient reception of the Council ("Im Sprung gehemmt", 1998).

His reflections earned Krätzl a summons to Rome, among other things. Most recently, he pinned his hopes on Pope Francis and on "the Council not being treated like a museum piece and untapped potential being taken up again - keyword synodality", the Austrian-born Batlogg told Kathpress.

"Krätzl did not only recall the Council in order to be able to spread his own experiences (...). He asked frankly and freely: Do the 16 texts written there mean anything to us? How do we implement them in the local Church of Vienna? How do we keep the 'spirit' of the Council alive - against the 'prophets of doom' branded by John XXIII, who always want to and can only see decline and relativism?" Krätzl has thus become an "encourager for a serving Church of open doors", according to Batlogg, who himself recently wrote a much acclaimed book about the Council. ("Born of the Council. How Vatican Council II can show the Church the way to the future", Tyrolia 2022).

Krätzl always referred to the Council as the "greatest turning point in my ecclesiastical life and thinking", Batlogg recalled. At the Council, he said, a surprising picture presented itself to him: "Many theologians who had previously been censured, especially French and German ones, suddenly appeared and were advisors to their bishops. The Bishops listened to them, apparently learned the theology that had been developed since their student days and brought it into the Council drafts when they were reworked," Batlogg quoted from the Council book of the auxiliary bishop, who died last Tuesday evening.

Krätzl had seen with concern "that the opening of the Church to the world, which was connected with the Council and which was attempted - as is well known, the programme word of the Council Pope John XXIII for this was 'Aggiornamento' - was taken back, deconstructed". Austria was not the only country where attempts had been made to bring a bishops' conference "back into line" with "questionable to completely unsuccessful bishop appointments".

"A great man has gone," Batlogg, who was friends with Krätzl and had last visited him in autumn 2022, summed up. At that time he had presented him with his book "Born of the Council". Krätzl had immediately asked, "Are you quoting me?" - to which he replied, "Over ten times". Intensive communication was no longer possible, "but he was interested and curious, as always", Batlogg recalled. "His undisputed expertise was also recognised and appreciated outside Austria. I will miss him. What luck to have met him!"

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