Cardinal Meisner: JMJ is for young people, not ‘the elderly like Küng’

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Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the Young People of the World on the Occasion of the XXIII World Youth Day, 2008
To the beloved people of Australia and to the young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day 2008
Vigil with the young people at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney
Welcoming Celebration by the Young People Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI

Cologne, Germany, Aug 9, 2005 / 12:00 am (CNA).- In an in interview on the preparations for World Youth Day, the hosting archbishop, Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, said the event is a gathering for young people, not for “the people of yesterday” such as dissident theologians Eugen Drewermann or Hans Küng.

In an interview granted to the Bonn newspaper General-Anzeiger, Cardinal Meisner noted that Hans Küng and Eugen Drewermann are not welcome at the event. “The entire event is oriented to be an encounter for young people and not for ‘seniors’,” he said.

“There is nothing for them (Küng and Drewermann) here, as young people are not interested in the silliness they fostered for so long. We don’t need any Drewermann or Küng or anything else stale at WYD,” Cardinal Meisner added.

Both Drewermann and Küng have criticized WYD, calling it “triumphalism,” and a dissident group has hinted it might bring both theologians to a parallel event.

Cardinal Meisner also noted that the gathering in Cologne “will be the first to have the special presence of two Popes, one from above, and the other from here below in the world.” “I desire that all those who arrive here return home happier than when they came, and that we here are all happier and more satisfied afterwards than when we welcomed them in,” he said.

Comments: 10

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Carlos
Houston, Texas 08/25/2005 10:35 AM EST

Bill:
We don't need dissident views in the Catholic Church. If these gentlemen have their own agenda with their own likes and preferences, I'm sure they would find some denomination to fit their fancies. The term "elderly" that the Cardinal applies for this two dissidents refers to the old heresies they promote within new wrapers. As for yourself, in all charity, if you find the teachings of the Catholic Church, which Cardinal Meisner defends and preaches, as "stale recitations of doctrinal statements" then you too might want to start looking for a place that meets your needs and not try to impose your wants and needs on a tradition of over 200 years, which is not going to change just because someone finds "novelties" refreshing or appealing. Truth belongs to God, Jesus is the Truth, and He cannot change.

Published by: Philomena and Damian Walsh
Dublin, Ireland 08/12/2005 12:33 PM EST

We agree with John O above. These evil people should be put in their places and stop interfering with WYD. We have the same interfering people in Ireland trying to legalize abortion. All our prayers are with Cardinal Meisner and the youth.

Published by: bill
United States 08/12/2005 11:56 AM EST

Meisner's dismissal of the elderly is appalling. He himself is older than Drewermann or Kung. He knows well that Drewermann's refreshing interpretations of the Bible are more appealing to the young that his own stale recitations of doctrinal statements. If you want to know more about Drewermann, I recommend the book 'A Violent God-Image: An Introduction to the Work of Eugen Drewermann' (Continuum, 2004) by Matthias Beier, a book that shows how Drewermann's message liberates faith from the shackles of fear.

Published by: EMILY
PHOENIXVILLE, PA. USA 08/12/2005 08:08 AM EST

WYD IS AND WILL BE IN MY PRAYERS

Published by: JohnO
Peterborough, ON, Canada 08/11/2005 05:55 PM EST

I like Meisner more and more. Hopefully he will also attend to the troubling invitation of high-ranking pro-abortion U.N. bureaucrat Eveline Herfkens. Scheduled to address the opening ceremony of WYD in Cologne, Herfkens, who heads the UN Millennium Campaign, has supported the notorious abortion ship that drops anchor off the shores of pro-life countries and performs illegal abortions. Herfkens was quoted as saying the ship "a concrete
answer to an awful problem."

What in the world is this woman doing speaking anywhere near World Youth
Day?

Published by: Deirdre
Canada 08/10/2005 07:01 PM EST

My son and his girlfriend are volunteers at WYD. It's great to read the Cardinal's comments and to know that they are in for a truly faith-enriching rime. When are the dissenters going to realise that they really are stale and people of yesterday?

Published by: Elizabeth Fornal
North Bergen, NJ , USA 08/10/2005 05:41 PM EST

I am disappointed in the way people think that only the youth need these pilgrimages. Yes I do believe they need to be guided and this is a wonderful holy event for the younger generation, however, what makes anyone think that the older ones do not need a pilgrimage? We all need to be guided in faith, we all need to be Catholics together, as one, not as separate indivuals because one is either younger or older than the other. I was ready to go with my Neocatecumenal group and one of the catecists told me that I may be bumped off the list because someone younger may need the space. I was so disappointed and discouraged. Its like the older ones are not important, like we don't need a guiding hand to guide us. What a perfect way to be driven to God is to have a pilgrimage and doing it for the love of our Lord is a wonderful experience. I am not going to the WYD and I am very disappointed. I was looking forward to giving myself to God in suffering because God is all good and deserving of all my love. Who wver said this should rethink of why they said this. We all need to be guided and hear a word from God.

Published by: Benoît Foulon
Montreal/Canada 08/10/2005 04:00 PM EST

Hans Küng is no more King Küng anymore. His reign is definitely over, thanks to J-P II and Benedict XVI.

Published by: maria durso
australia 08/09/2005 09:08 PM EST

It's about time!Brilliant decision. More please!

Published by: roberta trew
USA 08/09/2005 02:07 PM EST

Once again the dissidents show that they don't get it: everything is about THEM. This WYD is to enable the young to meet Christ ,guided by the Holy Father. I agree with the Cardinal: Kung and his like are not welcome in Cologne.

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