“KNEELING THEOLOGY”: Pope Francis Coins a Phrase to Describe Cardinal’s New Book

What an honor, to have the Pope fall asleep with your book in his hand!

That’s apparently what happened with Cardinal Walter Kasper’s new work Mercy: The Essence of the Gospel and the Key to Christian Life.

Pope Francis, addressing the extraordinary consistory of cardinals on the second day,  veered from his prepared remarks to talk about what he was reading.  He said:

Yesterday, before falling asleep (though not in order to fall asleep!), I read-–I re-read Cardinal Kasper’s work, and I would like to thank him, because [in it] I found profound theology, also a serene thought in theology.  It is nice to read serene theology.

And also, I found that, of which St. Ignatius spoke to us:  that “sensus Ecclesiae” [sense of the Church], no?  Love for Mother Church, right there, no?  It did me good and I had an idea–and excuse me if I embarrass [Your] Eminence, but the idea is:  this is called doing theology while kneeling.

Thank you. Thank you.

Well now–there’s an endorsement!

Mercy has just been released in English for the first time, and I’m sorry to say I haven’t read it yet.  I feel pretty confident in recommending it, though, for your reading pleasure.

Cardinal Kasper has been called one of the leading intellects in the Church today.  Pope Francis himself has called him a “superb theologian.”

This is a book which will make its mark on our generation.