Always good for a few laughs

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Catholic Church's leading dissident theologian praised Pope Benedict for his encyclical on love on Wednesday and asked for a second one showing the same kindness concerning birth control, divorce and other Christians.

Hans Kueng, who was banned from teaching Catholic theology in 1979, hailed his former university colleague for writing a first encyclical that was "solid theological fare" and "not a manifesto of cultural pessimism or restrictive sexual morality."

The Swiss theologian then urged the German-born Pontiff, the Vatican's stern doctrinal watchdog for 23 years before his election last April, to be kinder to his Catholic critics and to Protestants offended by frank statements he has made about them.

"Joseph Ratzinger would be a great Pope if he drew courageous consequences for Church structures and legal decisions from his correct and important words about love," Kueng wrote in a statement, using the Pope's real name.

Alongside the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the former Inquisition office that Ratzinger used to head, the Pope needed "Congregation of Love" to vet Vatican documents and ensure they are truly Christian in outlook, he suggested. [Source]

Hans Kueng is always up to giving me a good laugh. Congregation of Love is right up there with Dennis Kucinich wanting a Department of Peace. Though I would argue that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is already a congregation of love. If you love someone you tell them when they are doing something that endangers their eternal life or can lead others astray. What Kueng is really suggesting is a Congregation of Indifference where you can just do whatever you want and being its prefect would be the world's easiest job.

By the way there were already encyclicals that displayed kindness towards birth control and other Christians. One was called Humanae Vitae and the other was Ut unum sint. It is always kind to tell the truth as best as you are able. None of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy say ignore sin.