Tuesday, April 19, 2005
(8:26 PM) | Adam Kotsko:
Ratzinger on Liberation Theology
The new pope has spoken on liberation theology, the most consistently slandered theological movement in the history of Christianity:An analysis of the phenomenon of liberation theology reveals that it constitutes a fundamental threat to the faith of the Church. At the same time it must be borne in mind that no error could persist unless it contained a grain of truth. Indeed, an error is all the more dangerous, the greater that grain of truth is, for then the temptation it exerts is all the greater.He specifies that he is limiting his purview to those liberation theologies that have "embraced the marxist fundamental option." Lest we somehow come up with a way of understanding what the fuck that means, then-Cardinal Ratzinger took care that the only proper name of any theologian that is mentioned in this document is Bultmann (1884-1976) -- who is safely dead and unable to answer any charges. The reader is left wondering: has Gutierrez embraced the marxist fundamental option? Has Boff? Certainly Miranda has, but no one reads Miranda, so that's fine.
Furthermore, the error concerned would not have been able to wrench that piece of the truth to its own use if that truth had been adequately lived and witnessed to in its proper place (in the faith of the Church). So, in denouncing error and pointing to dangers in liberation theology, we must always be ready to ask what truth is latent in the error and how it can be given its rightful place, how it can be released from error's monopoly.
Now I remember, again, what I was hoping for when I hoped for a Latin American pope.
UPDATE: The Hitler Youth thing came up in comments. Ogged sends this link that explains that "HJ membership was made compulsory for youths over 17 in 1939, and for all over the age of 10 in 1941." This news story agrees with all the others I've read on this topic:
He joined the Hitler Youth aged 14, shortly after membership was made compulsory in 1941.There's a lot to criticize Ratzinger for, but unless someone produces definitive proof that Hitler Youth membership was not required and that Ratzinger is lying about his level of participation or enthusiasm, then we might as well just stick to criticizing the homophobia, sexism, etc.
He quickly won a dispensation on account of his training at a seminary. “Ratzinger was only briefly a member of the Hitler Youth and not an enthusiastic one,” concluded John Allen, his biographer.
TANGENTIALLY RELATED UPDATE: Is it really necessary for Atrios to have a post up entitled "F--- the Jews", which is made up only of a link? (I know that I am usually not shy about using naughty language, but this seems like it should be an obvious exception.)
