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A Rare Moment of Clarity from Cardinal Lehmann Cardinal Lehmann H.E. Karl Cardinal Lehmann, who went to his eternal reward on March 11, was one of the most influential German prelates of the past few decades. A former assistant to Karl Rahner, Lehmann’s interpretation of the “spirit” of Vatican II was largely implemented in Germany. As president of the German Bishops’ Conference from 1987–2008, Lehmann accelerated the pace of the development of the German Church towards ever greater conformity to the spirit of the age. From a traditionalist point of view, his attempts at reconciling the German Church to the modern...

An influential German cardinal once part of a liberal cabal of dissident prelates has died. Cardinal Karl Lehmann passed away on Sunday, at 81 years of age. He died in his home in Mainz, a town in Germany along the Rhine River. The cardinal was formerly head of the German bishops' conference 1987–2008. In May 2016, he complained about Vatican oversight in the selection of bishops. "Much greater attention should be given to an episcopal candidate's theological competence than his formal orthodoxy," he said. Cardinal Lehmann was a member of the St. Gallen Mafia, instrumental in getting Pope Francis elected in 2013. The secretive group had been conspiring...

Liberal-minded Cardinal Karl Lehmann is urging his fellow German bishops to change Church discipline quickly while Francis is still Pope. In an interview with German website katholisch.de, he pressed the bishops to use the “freedom that has been granted by the Pope.” “Francis wants us to explore new paths. Sometimes you don’t have to wait until the large tanker begins to move,” he added, alluding to the alleged slowness of the Curia in making changes, an attack often uttered by German liberal churchmen. The remark was geared toward the discussion of the possibility for admitting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics...

Cardinal Karl Lehmann said that the German Catholic bishops should act now to make changes in Church discipline, while they have the encouragement of Pope Francis. “Francis wants us to explore new paths,” said Cardinal Lehmann, a former president of the German bishops’ conference. He said that the German bishops should not wait before adopting new policies on issues such as Communion for Catholics who are divorced and remarried. Cardinal Lehmann was Bishop of Mainz until his retirement in May. His successor has not yet been named.

Cardinal Karl Lehmann, the former head of the German Bishops’ Conference and a famous “neo-Modernist Dissenter” turns 80 years old this month, and has thus submitted his final resignation from his office as the bishop of Mainz. In the course of this transition into retirement, Cardinal Lehmann has given several candid, and sometimes casual, interviews that are acutely relevant to the Catholic world for several reasons. Before we go into these reasons, however, let us briefly review some of the things for which Lehmann stands: He stands for the Sankt Gallen Group – he was one of the members of...

At first glance it's a gated mansion worthy of a Gilded Age: more than 14,000 square feet with eight bedrooms, 9½ bathrooms, five fireplaces, a pool, a pond, a tennis court and ocean views all nestled amid fields perfect for lavish summer parties. Built on spec, this property was offered for sale in 2006 for $24.95 million. Today? Try $12.95 million -- and even that lower price hasn't yet lured a buyer. The mansion is now being sold at auction as part of a bankruptcy plan by the developer's firm. The manse stands unfinished, forlorn and uninhabited. "Tragic," says Andrew...

the reform congress of the German Protestant Church. (EKD) Original German text The organizations, the Catholic Caritas and the Protestant, Diakonie could work together more closely. 26.1.07 Wittenberg The Mainz Cardinal Karl Lehmann expects from the “future-orientated congress” of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) a stimulus specifically for ecumenism. Caritas and Diakonie, should above all work more closely together. This was stated by the Chairman of the German Catholic Bishops Conference in Wittenberg.

Pictures and text showing the activities last Saturday of Cardinal Lehmann at Carnival and Cardinal Danneels at an empty vocations conference.

Recently we have seen that Pope John Paul II appointed as Cardinals two German Bishops, Walter Kasper and Karl Lehmann. On what merits? We have illustrated them in the past, but since time has passed, it is well to recall them in order to better understand the gravity of these appointments vis à vis the facts. For Walter Kasper, the miracles narrated in the Gospels are not historical facts related as eyewitness testimony by two Apostles, and as testimony heard by two of the Apostles' disciples, nor are they "segni certessimi” of Our Lord Jesus Christ's divinity as defined by...