Saturday, September 01, 2012

Dept. of Mild Surprise: Papal Schulerkreis Edition

Every year since 1977, Joseph Ratzinger has gathered with his erstwhile doctoral students for a sort of seminar thingy.  This sounds immensely cool on its own merits; now that he's the pope, and they can gather at Castel Gandolfo, it sounds too damn cool by half.

Anyhoo, this year (according the The Catholic Free Press) the papal summer camp will turn its attention to Roman Catholic ecumenical dialogue with Lutherans and Anglicans.  A worthy topic, to be sure, and likely a great relief for the Pope, whose attention has no doubt been turned perforce to less purely academic topics lately.  (Read:  scandals breaking out all over.)

A former Luther bishop will speak, although there is no word of any Anglican participation.  Perhaps the second year of the Ordinariate was not a good time to call up the Canterbury and ask if anybody were ... available.

After the evening session, we believe, there is a plan to roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories.

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