Cardinal Kasper criticises Pope Benedict fans
Fans of the Pope Emeritus have appropriated him for themselves and instrumentalised him for their cause, Cardinal Kasper criticises. But neither they "nor the overly harsh opponents have understood Benedict correctly".
In the theological work of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, one cannot speak of a turning point, according to Cardinal Walter Kasper of the Curia. He does not see "great breakthroughs" in it, said the Cardinal in an interview podcast of the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR). But in the post-conciliar period, Ratzinger had a great influence, had a calming effect on many people and helped to better understand the faith. This also applied to his late "Jesus" books, although exegetes had definitely had objections to them.
The Cardinal was critical of some of Benedict's "fans" who had "appropriated" him for themselves and instrumentalised him for "their cause". In doing so, they underestimated the complexity of his thinking. "I would say that neither the individual fans nor the overly harsh opponents have understood Benedict properly." This, he said, was more diverse than either side imagined. He himself had experienced Benedict to be quite open to problems in private conversations. He also took them seriously. In his public statements, "unfortunately, it often came across differently".
Vatican II unfinished - difference between Benedict and Francis
Kasper went on to say that he considered the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) to be unfinished. Many questions remain open that need to be addressed, the Cardinal said. The Pope Emeritus, who himself participated in the Council as a young theologian, may not have seen it that way at the end of his life. On the other hand, there are of course also subsequent "theologies" that no longer take the Vatican Council seriously.
Kasper sees the open questions, for example, in relation to synodality in the Church and the role of women. "We cannot stop there." In the meantime, the Council was half a century ago: "We must also have the courage to move on." The Cardinal, who will turn 90 in March, noted that one could not necessarily expect an old person who had helped to shape "the old" to follow all of this, with regard to Benedict XVI's thinking. That is why he intervened in a "very restraining" way during his term of office.
According to Kasper, Benedict had "two Vatican Councils". The one that was "his" was the one in the Council Hall, the other the one that the journalists made out of it. As Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and as Pope, Ratzinger always stuck to a literal interpretation. Although the relationship between Benedict and Francis had been "very friendly", there was an essential difference between the two: With Benedict, doctrine had always been in the foreground, with Francis it was the Gospel.
Cathcon: Modernists continue the torture of the Church by declaring Council unfinished. They will end by calling Vatican III to implement Vatican II in their desperation.
Cardinal Dulles on their differences
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