Hans Küng considering being euthanised

[manualman]

And the reason is: THE MAN IS SICK.

But is that just a copout excuse or are his recent rants against the Vatican in general and B16 in particular the outcome of a decades long philosophical obsession with his own alleged superiority of intellect and theological insight?

Again, I’m not a student of Kung and it sounds like you perhaps are, but is it possible that the defects of his own theology make him fundamentally unable to face his own deterioration with dignity?

Weigel’s critique here suggests that Hans Kung has been on this trajectory for a long time:
firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/04/an-open-letter-to-hans-kung

 

[Abba]

I am sorry to hear that this is how he is coming to the end of his life on earth. I will keep him in my humble prayers.

 

[Moonbug]

But is that just a copout excuse or are his recent rants against the Vatican in general and B16 in particular the outcome of a decades long philosophical obsession with his own alleged superiority of intellect and theological insight?

Again, I’m not a student of Kung and it sounds like you perhaps are, but is it possible that the defects of his own theology make him fundamentally unable to face his own deterioration with dignity?

Weigel’s critique here suggests that Hans Kung has been on this trajectory for a long time:
firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/04/an-open-letter-to-hans-kung

I am no avid student of his, but I do respect him for his theology. As for George Weigel, I have not the smallest sliver of respect for him, either as a theologian or as a person. He is, and always has been, an attack dog for the hierarchy. This letter of his speaks for itself. It is the most scurrilous attack I have yet seen from Weigel, and that’s saying plenty, for he has a long history of attacking those who are not in agreement with many church policies’. He takes a cheap shot at Kung for his brief infatuation with his little roadster, yet, has never passed one critical remark about the garish, unbridled extravagance of many in the hierarchy. I never said Kung was perfect, but for a man such as Weigel, who is known as a notorious boot licker to attack Kung in such an unchristian manner is truly revolting. He is on his game, tearing the reputations of church critics apart. He has made a good living doing it. The young friend who took Kung aside at Vatican II was Benedict XVI. It shows what an ingrate Benedict was to repeat this to such a man as Weigel. Kung went out of his way to give Benedict his first university teaching job.

 

[manualman]

It’s often difficult to distinguish between those critical of the hierarchy and those who feel that the existence of a hierarchy in the first place is an intolerable affront to liberty (defined suspiciously similar to license). The former is certainly fair game. The latter, well…

I suppose it can be similarly difficult to distinguish between opulence oriented towards one’s own glory and luxury and opulence lavished on the bride of Christ out of love. The only thing I know of Weigel is that I loved his biography of John Paul II. But I’m sure that he, like all of us, has his biases. (Cough, Fr. Maciel)

In any case, one should note that his open letter to Fr. Kung was itself a response to scurrilous and unsupported attacks Kung made against Benedict publicly. You can call it bootlicking if you like, but we all tend to get protective of those we admire from patently unfair attacks, no? Isn’t that what you did above?

The red sports car story could indeed be a cheap shot. Or it could be an anecdotal observation about the man’s personality that shaped his theology throughout his life. One certainly CAN make the same criticism about Fr. Maciel without being a Call to Action bootlicker, no?

 

[Robert_Bay]

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[Beautiful]

I suspect Fr. Kung is a very sick man who’s mental judgment is impaired.

exactly my thought
sick - mentally, physically and spiritually
I hope and pray he experiences and embraces some measure of love in his struggle with life.

 

[opus101]

Pope Benedict had many things to say about euthanasia, among them the following:

euthanasia.com/pope2005.html

Here he says “…euthanasia is a false solution to the drama of suffering, a solution unworthy of man.” euthanasia.com/benedictsolution.html

Here is Pope Francis on euthanasia:
all.org/article/index/id/MTIxOTY

What Hans Kung is speaking about is suicide. It’s a different thing. It’s kind of like hiring a hit man to murder someone for you, only that “someone” is yourself.

 

[Beautiful]

Just my two cents:

There are those who declare approval to euthanasia openly.
…those that actually go through with it openly.
and then I believe there is a much greater number of people that either silently cooperate with various health care avenues and health care givers that lead to premature to death.
If I did not see it I might not believe it.
I don’t think anyone needs to ‘sell’ death. Premature death happens and is as available as there are choices to prolong life.

 

[Beautiful]

If I could say write this to Fr. Kung…
Dear Fr. Kung,
Come to me and I will help care for you. Realistically, I could not be with you 24/7 but I could arrange my life to be with you as often as possible. You don’t need to grow old feeling that you are any less lovable because certain body functions are diminished or failing. There are many graces in store for you and those that care for you…especially in the last years, months, weeks and hours of life.
Come to me who hunger and thirst says Our Lord! First of all go to Him in prayer and know that you are lovable and able to love to the end of your natural and spiritual life.
God bless,
Beautiful