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Famous Catholic theologian calls for end to papal absolutism

‘Few people realize how powerful the pope is’

Influential theologian Fr. Hans Kung is calling on Catholics to reject the long-held notion of the absolutism of papal power. In a video message to a meeting of the American Catholic Council, Kung lamented that “few people realize how powerful the pope is,” comparing the Pontiff’s authority to that of the monarchs in pre-revolutionary France. “We have to change an absolutist system without the French Revolution,” he said. Giving in to the Church hierarchy, Kung argues, would doom the institution to irrelevance. “The world is moving on, going ahead, with or without the church,” he said.  “I believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is stronger than the hierarchy.” Kung is widely recognized as one of the chief architects of the Second Vatican Council.

National Catholic Reporter

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