HVK Archives: Catholic priest incurs wrath of Pope John Paul II
Catholic priest incurs wrath of Pope John Paul II - Maharashtra Herald
Michael Gonsalves
()
November 30, 1998
Title: Catholic priest incurs wrath of Pope John Paul II
Author: Michael Gonsalves
Publication: Maharashtra Herald
Date: November 30, 1998
Close on the heels of banning popular Indian Jesuit spiritual
guru the late Fr Anthony de Mello's books, Pope John Paul II has
virtually banned another world renowned Jesuit priest-
theologian's book, sending shockwaves among Asian Christian
theologians.
Under the Pope's direction, the all-powerful Vatican's
Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) summoned Jesuit
priest-theologian Fr Jacques Dupuis, giving him only three months
notice to answer questions raised by the CDF.
In the interim, the controversial Jesuit professor, based at the
Pontifical Greorian University, Rome, and allowed to teach under
certain Papal conditions, has declined to teach.
Strangely, Fr Dupuis, who taught theology at the Jesuit-run
Vidyajyoti, Delhi, a national centre for training of priests,
churning out scores of Indian Catholic priests for over 36 years,
has proceeded on "leave" to his native country Belgium. "The
Vatican has raised certain objections on his recently published
book 'Towards a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism', and
ordered him to answer them within three months", highly placed
sources in the Catholic Church disclosed.
Chief of the Jesuits Fr General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, known as
the 'Black Pope', for the tremendous power he wields in the
Church hierarchy, reportedly also asked Fr Dupuis to return to
his native Belgium and use the three months to prepare to answer
the Vatican "charge", Jesuit sources in Pune and Delhi told
Mahrashtra Herald.
"I am very surprised over the Vatican move, as he was very
notorious in his firm and clear doctrinal teachings, resisting
all doctrinal deviations", said Jesuit priest-theologian and
writer Fr Josef Neuner, an authority on the 1965 Vatical Council
II, a landmark event bringing much fresh air and radical thinking
within the Church and colleague of Fr Dupuis, said.
Significantly, both Fr Neuner and Fr Dupuis co-authored "The
Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic
Church", a landmark textbook of every priest and theologian,
containing all the Church Councils and successive Popes documents
through the centuries since the foundation of the Catholic
Church.
"Many are surprised that a churchman so firmly rooted in the
tradition of the Church should be suspected of doctrinal
deviations", the scholar-theologian pointed out.
It is widely believed in Church circles that the latest Vatican
action is a subtle and smart move to control the growing and
progressive Asian Church.
"The Vatican is frightened of the assertive Asian theology, and
the latest action is only indicative of Polish Pope's attempts at
silencing the Asian Church", Asian Church scholars pointed out.
Sources said the Vatican was quite rattled over the assertions of
the April-May 1998 special Synod for Asia -- "Lineamenta": Jesus
Christ the Saviour: Mission of Love and Service in Asia.
The sin of Fr Dupuis was that he was reportedly the brian behind
shaping the thinking of the Asian cardinals, archbishops and
bishops who, for the first time, vehemently stressed on
developing an Asian theology rooted in Asian culture and
tradition.
The Synod had emphasised presentation of the Christian faith in a
manner understandable and meaningful for Asians, which reportedly
irked the Vatican.
Fr Dupuis, author of several books and researched articles in
international journals on Christology, the theology of religions
and of mission, was also director of the authoritative periodical
Gregorianun published by the Pontifical Gregoriam University.
Joining the Calcutta Jesuit Province, the 75-year-old Jesuit was
ordained a priest in India on November 21, 1954. He moved to Rome
in 1984.
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