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One of the things I remember from my days as a theology student at Catholic University is that if the Rev. Joseph Komonchak tells me I am wrong about anything having to do with Vatican II, I can only plead guilty as charged. The same holds for Father Komonchak’s comment on my earlier post, in which I repeated the error of Mr. George Weigel in putting a phrase in the mouth of Pope Benedict XVI that he did not put there himself. In his address to the Curia, the Pope did not refer to a "hermeneutic of continuity" but to a "hermeneutic of reform" as Komonchak rightly notes. The difference is, as he suggests, an important one. I should have known better and I didn’t. My apologies to the reader and my thanks to Father Komonchak. I am delighted to be corrected by someone whom I respect so highly.

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15 years 9 months ago
I was privileged to receive from Fr. Komonchak a copy of his article on Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican II in advance of it being published. He is most generous. Also, your openness to correction only adds to your credibility. As a blogger myself, I find being corrected by readers from time-to-time invaluable.
15 years 9 months ago
There is an article waiting to be written about Journalists,the Pope and the corrections of Fr Komonchak.Some years ago your colleague John Allen wrote a book on Cardinal Ratzinger that was poor to all but those prey to the manichaen vision of the world that Komonchak spoke of to the Journalist.
The Journalist in question took it on the chin as you have done here and since then has developed into a far superior writer who stays far from the same heresy pointed out by Fr Komonchak.
It is reassuring to know that there are people in the Church who retain there sense of discernment and are not beholden to prejudices.
15 years 9 months ago
The value of your blog just went up 200 points in my esteem after I noted your readiness to be corrected. Thanks for your thoughts - they do resonate - and to me they provide ample matter for reflection.

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