The Pope and His Rival

It is not catalogued as such but it is a miracle that Hans Kung did not drop dead the moment he heard that Joseph Ratzinger was pope. In an encouraging development the two one-time friends and then bitter rivals met and even had dinner together. In the end they found that they actually still have a great deal in common. The NYT link does accuse Ratzinger of taking a rightward shift after Vatican II and Kung remaining a good liberal, but that is simplifying things. If someone like Ratzinger wanted reform but not as much as Kung does that make him a conservative or a pragmatist? And if someone like Kung wants to encourage reforms that challenge the very foundation of the church does that make him a liberal or a heretic? It is all subjective so the Times should have kept quiet on that count.