UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
In three year’s time, the world will mark both (A) the 500th anniversary of the German theologian, Martin Luther’s Reformation launch, and (B) the first Jesuit Pope, Francis’ 80th birthday. That is the current retirement age of cardinals and Francis may retire then to establish a term limit precedent.
Recent reports from Germany indicate that Francis by then may be well on the way to completing, not merely countering, the Reformation that Luther had started and, paradoxically, Jesuits had been founded mainly to counter. Francis now has the unprecedented opportunity (1) to complete the reform of the Catholic Church, (2) to end the scandalous religious rift that never should have occurred, and (3) to consolidate the fruits of the enormous efforts of both Luther and Loyola and their many followers.
Why Germany? A central element of the explanation is that it is where Swiss born, Rome Jesuit educated, Fr. Hans Kung has boldly taught scholars and advocated for reform for almost six decades, often working closely with Luther’s principal Protestant intellectual successors. Hans Kung has for decades clearly been a key, if not the key, Catholic intellectual, and pastoral, force behind this “New Reformation”. He has suffered much at the hands of the last two popes for his reform advocacy, but he is continuing to press, as he soon celebrates his 86th birthday.
Francis would likely benefit if he soon read carefully, if he hasn’t already, the superb, comprehensive and straightforward new reform book, “Can We Save the Catholic Church?”by Jesuit educated, Hans Kung described further at: http://amzn.com/B00CR42LNG that Fr. Kung already sent him, and then met with Hans Kung, who surely would be pleased to consult with him. Pope Francis, by a gracious hand written note, has already thanked Hans Kung for the reform book. Fr. Kung knows much about what ails the Church and what is needed to cure it, as best I can tell.
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