It is time for another Council in the Catholic Church.

“The current crisis of the Church opens the chance for new forms of Christianity,” says Czech priest Tomas Halik.

The time has come for another Council in the Catholic Church
Source.

The Church cannot do without reform, even at the risk that some will find the reform radical and leave the Church, Czech priest Tomáš Halík said in an interview with the Austrian regional daily Kleine Zeitung.

Halík reflected on how faith can persist when traditional forms no longer work. “This is one of the most important questions of our time,” the 71-year-old cleric told the Austrian periodical, which the Polish eKAI news agency quoted.

Halik also says it is not the way for clerics to return to pre-modern Christianity or the current form of Christianity as a worldview. According to the eminent theologian, the necessary change in Christianity cannot be exhausted in superficial institutional changes. Still, a deepening of spirituality and ecumenism is needed, as well as the practice of solidarity “with all those who feel responsible for the future of our common world.”

In the Czech theologian’s view, the Church could be shaped as a “school of Christian wisdom”: a community of students and teachers, a community of life, prayer, and study, a new form of the ideal of the first universities.

In this context, Halík sees an example in the ministry of priests in hospitals, the army, and prisons. “They are there for everyone, not just for the faithful,” Halík stressed. The Czech theologian and sociologist are also skeptical of many new movements in the Church, especially if they succumb to a sectarian mentality. On the other hand, he has a positive view of open communities such as Taizé and Sant’Egidio.

According to Halík, the time has also come for a new Council in the Catholic Church. However, he says it is unclear whether such a council could be convened through Pope Francis’ synodal process.

Society sees the Church as a hysterical community.
Tomas HalikSociety sees the Church as a hysterical community
Paul Hudak
The idea that the liberalization of theology is to blame for the decline of the Church is false, a Czech priest has declared at an ecumenical conference in Poland.

“The post-modern era brings new features and the need for theological and spiritual preparation for further ministry. This is the synodal way,” the Czech theologian said.

Tomas Halik considers the universal brotherhood, which Pope Francis speaks of in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, as an eschatological goal. He says it will lead the way across history in line with the encyclical’s content. “On this path, however, steps are needed to deepen mutual knowledge and appreciation. Ecumenical meetings can always be an encouragement to continue on this path,” Halik said.

Tomas Halik pointed out that proposals for modernizing the Church’s structures have been around for more than 150 years. Some were implemented after the Second Vatican Council, others were left unfinished, and other changes were brought about by the current reform of the Roman Curia. Some proposals have also emerged in the synodal journey in Germany. “These voices and proposals must not be silenced or downplayed,” Halík warned.

However, he is convinced that the actual rebuilding of the house cannot start from the roof but from the foundations. “We need to look at what is happening to the foundation of the house,” Halík stressed.

On the other hand, he noted that it is not appropriate to compare the Catholic Church with the fate of the Soviet Union. According to Halik, there is an accusation that Pope Francis and his reforms will lead to the collapse of the Church, just as Gorbachev’s attempt to reform the USSR led to its disintegration.

“Francis’ call for openness and self-criticism is indeed reminiscent of Gorbachev’s glasnost and the synodal path of perestroika,” Fr Halik added.

“People who are afraid of this ultimately show that they understand the church as a totalitarian system and want to keep it that way,” he said. Their fears are understandable, he said, because the system of the church, which emerged as a counterculture to Protestantism and modernity, “had and has many totalitarian features.” “The reforms of Pope Francis threaten them,” he added.

Halik supports Pope Francis’ reform course because he believes that the Church is something other than a totalitarian system and that the collapse of this system can liberate and restore the core of the Church.