Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, liberal contender for pope, dies at 85

[Ancient lion]

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, liberal contender for pope, dies at 85

Carlo Maria Martini, an Italian cardinal who was a rare liberal within the highly conservative Catholic Church hierarchy and who was considered a contender for the papacy in 2005, died Aug. 31. He was 85 and had Parkinson’s disease. His death was announced by the Milan Archdiocese, where he had served as archbishop. Cardinal Martini, a Jesuit, frequently voiced openness to divisive issues for the church, such as using condoms to fight HIV/AIDS, priestly celibacy and homosexuality. Despite his liberal views in a college of cardinals that grew increasingly conservative under Pope John Paul II, he was considered a possible contender in the 2005 conclave that brought German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, to the papacy.

Italian Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini has described the Roman Catholic Church as being "200 years behind" the times.
BBC News - Cardinal Carlo Martini says Church '200 years behind'

He used to defend Islam and muslims and sons os Ismael;

Le décès de Carlo Maria Martini le cardinal italien qui a défendu l’islam à partir de l’Église | Huspress

 

[whitehall]

How was Martini such a liberal? Because he considered the selective use of condoms for married couples in case one of the married partners had AIDS? He also said that the Catholic Church should not promote the use of condoms. The left seems desperate to try to split the Catholic Church but Martini's suggestions about the Church being more forthcoming about pedophile priests is rather a conservative idea. He would have restructured the Church's organization but that could be considered conservative also. Left wingers try to twist logic into a pretzel with some of Martini's statements but Martini never ever advocated abortion..

 

[Politico]

Most of those guys are about dead when they get the position anyway. Maybe they could make an exception.