Bishops urged to disobey Pope
German theologian Hans Kueng today urged bishops to disobey the Pope and push for reforms in the Roman Catholic Church.
The 82-year-old former colleague and friend of Pope Benedict XVI says the Church is in its deepest crisis since the Protestant Reformation after recent revelations of sexual abuse by clergy and the ensuing erosion of trust.
Mr Kueng, a veteran of the Second Vatican Council, said in an editorial in the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that bishops should call for a new synod to discuss reforms.
He said it is legitimate for bishops to pressure Roman authorities if the pope blocks their efforts, adding that bishops should not be “actors without voice or rights”.
The editorial also appeared in the New York Times and La Repubblica.
