Dominican theologian Father Schillebeeckx dies at 95
Monday, December 28, 2009
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Dominican Father Edward Schillebeeckx, a theologian whose work had a huge impact on the Dutch church, died at the age of 95 Dec. 23 in Nijmegen, Netherlands, where he lived since 1957.
The Dominican taught in the department of dogmatic and historical theology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen, now known as Radboud University Nijmegen, from 1957 until his retirement in 1983.
He served as theological adviser to the Dutch bishops during the Second Vatican Council and was seen as the main inspiration behind the Dutch catechism for adults. The catechism was published in 1966 after approval by the country's bishops, who wanted the text to reflect the council's new approach to questions of faith. But the Vatican criticized the text, ordered a study of it and in 1972 insisted on its withdrawal from use in Catholic schools.
In its obituary, Radboud University Nijmegen described Father Schillebeeckx as "as a pioneer who connected faith, church and theology with modern humanity in a secular society."
But his efforts to "rethink the Christian faith in the light of contemporary culture" -- as Vatican Radio described his work Dec. 27 -- led to three separate investigations by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith between 1968 and 1984.
The last investigation was carried out under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. In 1986, concluding the investigation, the cardinal issued a notification on Father Schillebeeckx's book, "The Church with a Human Face: A New and Expanded Theology of Ministry," saying it was "in disagreement with the teaching of the church," particularly regarding ordination and the possibility of lay people presiding at the Eucharist. However, the doctrinal congregation did not apply any penalties to the Dominican, who already had retired from teaching.
Edward Schillebeeckx was born in Antwerp, Belgium, Nov. 12, 1914. He entered the Dominicans in 1934 and was ordained a priest in 1941.
Copyright © 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
a great loss
By anthony marinelli (not verified) on Thursday, January 21, 2010Words can not tell the great loss schilllebeeckx's
passing is. As a catholic youngster his book's jesus and christ had a great influence on a whole generation of christians catholic and protestant.
Although recently his output was greatly diminished his reputation still soars high in influencing christians today. a great theologian and great christian. A witness of the faith for us all.
Requiescat in pace, Rest in peace
By Anonymous (not verified) on Saturday, January 2, 2010Can't a moment of solace be given; must legacy and judgement immediately come to the fore? Can't we as Christians, at least in this initial space after Schillebeeckx's passing, speak respectfully about someone who endevoured as sincerely as he could to make a positive impact on this world?
I don't know the works and efforts of Edward Schillebeeckx as much as I'd like to, but I respect his voluminous writing, decades of teaching and attempts to foster communication and dialogue between Christians. I can only think these things positive, and regardless of the intellectual positions he held Schillebeeckx kept thinking and talking about Christianity. Sustained dialogue is always a positive.
I also think what he said is important. He was concerned with making an old tradition relevant to a changing world, and a lifetime of focusing on this topic of Christianity and the modern world is a respectable vocation. Trying to show the similiarities between contemporary society and the Christian tradition has helped me, and I'm sure many other young people like myself, realise that there is much of value that we can appreciate.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
- Ephesians 4:15
Not A Loss! Worthless Drivel!
By Orestes (not verified) on Wednesday, December 30, 2009One of the most disgraceful and damaging so called theologians in the history of the Church.
Along with his fellow heretics Pierre Tielhard de Chardin, Karl Rahner, Hans Kung, Yves Congar, Henri De Lubac, Charles Curran, Hans Urs Von Balthasar, etc., Schillebeeckx, along with the modernist bishops practically destroyed the Catholic Church and turned it into the unrecognizable hybrid fabrication it is today.
I don't admire any of these men in the slightest.
To me they are not even Christians. Their theology is not theology, but rather the inner workings of their imagination and pure wishful thinking.
What they wrote and taught is pure nonsense and drivel for the simple minded who think they are learning something new. None of these guys will stand the test of time. They are but a fad that will surely pass away and be laughed at in the future.
Writing on the theology of
By Meghan Murphy-Gill on Tuesday, December 29, 2009Writing on the theology of Schillebeeckx was always an enormous task for me because everything he wrote was so comprehensive. But after turning in my papers, I always felt as if I had spent time with one of the greatest of modern thinkers and theologians. (I also felt accomplished that I could type his last name without having to stop and check the spelling.)
Hardly does him justice...
By Bryan Cones on Tuesday, December 29, 2009With Karl Rahner, Yves Congar, and Henri DeLubac, Schillebeeckx has to be considered one of the primary architects of the Second Vatican Council. We think about the church and the sacraments in entirely new ways--or actually, recovered, traditional ways--because of his thinking and writing. Like the new theologians that were condemned before Vatican II only to be rehabilitated by the council, Schillebeeckx theology will eventually be the common understanding of the church, though it may take a while.
Bryan Cones
I don't agree with you
By Orestes (not verified) on Wednesday, December 30, 2009I think every single theologian you mentioned will eventually be recognized for what they are; a flash in the pan.
In the future I think they will be condemned as heretics and their writings and theories will be completely discredited.
Face it Bryan, these guys are not Catholic. Quite frankly they are not even Christians. They are relativists. Their theology has nothing to do with the Catholic faith and for you to use the term "recovered" within the context of "traditional ways" is intellectually dishonest. There is nothing "traditional", "historical", or Catholic about their theories and conclusions.
Quite the contrary. It's all made up from nothing. They fabricated everything strictly from their delusional imagination and "wished" their beliefs into existence. Sadly, their poison infiltrated the Church.
These guys and their supporters have done more harm to the Church than any external foe could ever have done.
To me they are a cancer that needs to be removed, not someone to admire.
I have to agree with Orestes
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, April 22, 2010Dissent has always been part of the Church. Before this time, these kinds of discussions were held in University or Collegial settings among other erudite
listeners that could understand the nuances of some of the disagreements. This group took their personal doubts and preferences and put them in the public arena to try and force the Church to see things their way. The loss of faith and confusion that their work caused among the faithful, is reflected in the current crisis in the Church. As a group, their overreaching pride, and public dissent formed a rallying point for other people that thought the Church should be remade in THEIR image. They created a tower of Babel to prove the sophmoric point that THEY should be heard, while doing the rest of the faithful a disservice. In the end their fate will be that of most selfserving petulant pedants and they will not even be a footnote in history, but the Church they ill served will go on.
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