Hans Küng, pictured here in 1982, is a controversial figure in the Catholic church.
Keystone
Admonished as well as celebrated, outspoken Swiss Catholic theologian Hans Küng is 90 years old today – Saint Joseph’s Day.
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An ordained priest, Küng was a theology professor at Tübingen University in Germany. He served as a theological adviser to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), and was the first major Catholic theologian to reject papal infallibility. The Vatican revoked his right to teach Catholic theology in 1979.
In 1995 Küng established the Global Ethic FoundationExternal link, which aims to help teach children basic ethical rules and understanding of values.
For his work Küng has won a number of awards, such as the Lev-Kopelev and Buddhist peace prizes and the Interfaith Education Award. He has also written and co-authored several books in German and English.
In this report from the 2003 archives of Swiss Radio International – the predecessor of swissinfo.ch – Küng discusses his book, Hard-won Freedom, with journalist Jonathan Summerton.
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Theologian discusses Vatican II
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Theologian Hans Küng talks about problems in the Catholic church, as well as the inspiration for his book, Hard-won Freedom.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Peace prize winner attacks Bush administration
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Küng made his comments after receiving the Lev-Kopelev peace prize in the German city of Cologne for his work promoting better relations between religions. Küng, who has been at odds with the Vatican for years, was awarded the prize for his “tireless work to help improve understanding between the world’s great religions.” The jury cited…
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The laureate said he would use the prize, which is worth SFr224,000 ($192,275), for his Global Ethic Foundation. The award ceremony is to take place in Tokyo on May 11. The panel said the understanding and insight of the Catholic theologian were indispensable for peace in the world, notably in the Middle East, Iraq and…
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Both sides were positive after the talks, which took place over several hours at the Pontiff’s summer residence at Castelgandolfo on Saturday. “The two agreed that there was no sense in entering, within the confines of the meeting, into a dispute surrounding the persistent doctrinal questions between Hans Küng and the Magisterium of the Catholic…
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The former Vatican adviser spoke to swissinfo’s Jonathan Summerton about his new book and his views on the Catholic Church. Hans Küng is widely acclaimed as one of the most brilliant Catholic thinkers of his generation. He was an adviser to the Second Vatican Council in 1962, but was refused permission by the Church to…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.