"Kirchentag" in Berlin. When minds reveal themselves.
The first ecumenical Kirchentag, which took place from May 28 to June 1, was attended by about 200,000 people, the majority of whom were Protestants. In 1996, when the plan for an ecumenical manifestation was launched, the organizers hoped that the event would lead to intercommunion. In this context, the encyclical on the Eucharist arrived just at the right moment, to try to put the brakes on a process already far advanced in Germany. It did at least have had the merit of pushing the bishops to side with authority, something which, a priori, could not be taken for granted; fairly recent events have already shown us the reverse. Considering the forces present (65% Protestants), considering the number of guests totally alien to the Catholic Church (for example, the Dalai Lama, Gerhard Schröder – who has now his fourth concubine), and the messages conveyed, it is clear that this meeting took place in a zone peripheral to the Catholic faith, to say the least. There are only personalities of questionable faith, such as Cardinal Kasper, to glorify this “grand scale ecumenical event”, “blessing and sign of the efficacy of the Holy Ghost”. The Pope had also hailed the Kirchentag as “destined to become a great symbol of ecumenism.”
In fact, in spite of the interdictions, an intercommunion ceremony did take place. It was celebrated in the Evangelical church of Gethsemane by the Austrian priest Gotthold Hasenhüttl, emeritus professor of theology at the University of Saarbrücken. In front of around 2000 people, Catholics and Protestants, the officially Catholic priest pronounced the words of consecration over baskets of bread and pitchers of wine. In his welcoming address, Fr. Hasenhüttl explained his participation by the fact that the Eucharist is capable of smoothing out divisions, according to the words of Pope John Paul. “He who excludes others, shuts himself off from the presence of Christ. He who divides, excludes himself and creates division within himself.” During her homily, the pastor Brigitte Enzer-Probst affirmed that “God Himself invites us in Christ to the banquet of joy.”
Following this celebration, the organizers of the Kirchentag, after having allowed it all to happen, hypocritically distanced themselves from it. The German bishops made reservations and criticisms of this initiative; what else could they do? However there have been no canonical sanctions. Maybe it is better that there were none, since over the last 30 years, these have been reserved for the defenders of the Catholic faith, who should not be confused with heretics. For this professor Hasenhüttl most certainly is a heretic, and he has been so for a long time. His various publications1 state his positions, which are strange to say the least: he does not believe in a personal God, reducing Him to a reality which becomes a being through social action, the “Church as an institution” is a usurpation, as Christ did not found a Church. We can understand the prayer said by the “liturgical lady-assistant” during the ecumenical celebration: “Lord, deliver us from the Fathers2 who protect us.”
Many were astonished, not so much by this ecumenical celebration – which is a step ahead of the revolution – but by the simple fact that Hasenhüttl has been training priests for 30 years, professing heresy with total impunity. And in order to publicly express one’s amazement, one has to be able to write in a paper that is not under the administration of the German bishops conference.3
