Cardinal Ratzinger Rebukes Dissenters

       In a new call to theological order, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has accused progressives of «degrading» the Church.

       His attack, one of the most severe since over 500 European theologians¹ endorsed the 1988 anti-Rome protest known as the Declaration of Cologne, is seen a response to new criticism of the current Pontificate.

       Cardinal Ratzinger was speaking at a convention in Rome's Gregorian University.

       The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was addressing the convention to mark the 20th an­niversary of the theological review, Communio.

       The promoters of progressive theology, the cardinal said, had «degraded the Church», confusing Councils with politi­cal deliberations «as if they had the right to alter the faith».

       Progressives were offering the «dregs of a liberal storehouse and passing these off as a new and true Catholic theology».

       He condemned progressives for exploiting the atmos­phere of the Council: «On the pretext of faith, they sought to make statements that satisfied the tastes of contemporaries». Sound theology extracts answers to human problems from the Word of God, he said. (C. H.). ITALY. «Christian Voice»

Footnote:

1. This includes teachers of religion whom we would not consider qualified theologians.

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