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Father Hans Kung blames Catholic views on sex for clerical child abuse
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NPC
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- So says Fr Kung. I don’t think the statistics bear that out in reality. Worldwide there is not a shortage of priests - the number continues to grow. Indeed, I know that there are seminaries in Africa which have literally thousands of men on the waiting lists. And what about denominations which do allow their priests or ministers to marry? They are not recording major successes in attracting men to the religious life.
The celibacy problem and its relationship to the supposed vocations crisis, as I see it, is largely a problem in the Western World, where young people are constantly confronted with secular sexual values, where the emphasis is on doing whatever makes one happy. That said, there are several dioceses in the Western World who are bucking the trend of fewer vocations - the reason for that, in my opinion? Orthodoxy and fidelity to the Church’s teachings - something Fr Kung doesn’t seem to be overly familiar or concerned with.
In relation to sexual abuse, celibacy is not the issue here either. If it were, then no father, mother or married person would ever have abused a child. If one has a healthy understanding of sex and sexuality (generally & for their own life) then sexual abuse is not an issue - there are many people who are living celibately as single persons, not by choice, and their situation does not necessarily drive them to abuse children. The problem is with persons who have a skewed and deluded vision of sexuality and how one should act upon it - whether one is married, single or in religious life, a paedophile will seek out situations where they will have the opportunity to be alone with, and have access to, children. Unfortunately, the priesthood, because of the high esteem in which priests were held, gave certain men very easy access to children - but whether they were in a job requiring celibacy or not, they would have sought out situations where they could abuse.
I personally think that Fr Kung’s views are far too simplistic. He seems to be telling people what he thinks they want to hear, rather than looking at the factual background to the issue of sexual abuse.
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redrosetea
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Kung is a legend in his own mind
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manualman
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Poor Hans Kung (weren’t his faculties revoked? Or is he jsut barred from teaching?). After all this time, he still can’t face reality.
He doesn’t seem to notice that the rise of abusive behavior among priests coincided with the rise of HIS sort of “recreate God in your own image” theology. I guess he believes in coincidence…
He doesn’t seem to notice that the rise of abusive behavior among priests coincided with the rise of HIS sort of “recreate God in your own image” theology. I guess he believes in coincidence…
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NPC
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He still has his priestly faculties as far as I know - he is just prevented from teaching Catholic Theology (which I guess is rather a big deal for a Catholic theologian
)Of course his views on celibacy are nothing new - he has been going on about it for decades…I think this is just an attempt to put a bit of cement into his previous denunciations of compulsory celibacy. Of course his current argument isn’t new either - several others have tried to establish a link between abuse and celibacy…it’s not an argument that carries weight as far as I’m concerned.
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Adeodatus
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So by “leading Roman Catholic theologian” they mean “Roman Catholic so erroneous that he was banned from theology worldwide”.
Maybe they meant to write “misleading Roman Catholic theologian”.
Does he also think that you can calm down unruly alcoholics with some booze?
Maybe they meant to write “misleading Roman Catholic theologian”.
Does he also think that you can calm down unruly alcoholics with some booze?
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Seno_Ryan
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I think that Father Hans Kung’s statements are very misleading and have no basis. It is an attack on Catholic teaching on sexuality; I do not understand why some of these priests cannot remain fidel to Catholic doctrine.
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SunnaB16
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The title “Roman Catholic” as applied to him has been inappropriate for decades. “Ex-Catholic” is much more accurate.
Compare his antics with the fidelity of one of his contempories: Pope BenedictXVI.
He`s just a sad old dried up has-been parasite whose heretical ideas will be consigned to the scrap heap soon after he meets his Maker. He knocked himself silly by bashing his head against the Rock of Peter.
“…President of The Global Ethic Foundation…”: his own Greenie creation. A “one world religion” made in his own image and likeness.
“…professor emeritus…”: sacked!.. well: barred from teaching. Same diff.
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markomalley
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Hans Kueng has been repeatedly denounced by the Holy See. Therefore, his views on theology should be regarded with the same degree of seriousness as the theology of Nancy Pelosi (theologian of the House)
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