Open to God, Open to the World

Description

In the last months of his long life, Cardinal Konig expressed the wish to record what was most important as a way forward for the Church and for Christians generally. At a time when the Austrian Church was rocked by scandal (paedophile priests, pornography in seminaries, the corpse of a dead priest floating down the Danube) this wise and holy man has been and will continue to be seen as a man of quite exceptional importance. The book, all written in the first person, is concerned with openness - that openness advocated by John XXIII when he talked of opening the windows of the Church to the modern world. In this Cardinal Konig was a pioneer and his influence on Vatican II was crucial. In this very personal book, Konig often talks of people he met and corresponded with, and his experiences on extensive travels behind what was then termed The Iron Curtain. There is also a beautiful chapter on personal prayer - the all important personal dialogue with God. He recounts how he learned a great deal from a Parsee family in Bombay and talks of his conversations with God in the last years of his life. At a time when religion is so often a cause of dissent, conflict and even murder, Konig's views on dialogue with other Christians and other religions have a particular pertinence and will be seen to be prophetic.

Franz Koenig was an Austrian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. The last surviving cardinal elevated by Pope John XXIII, he was the second-oldest and longest-serving cardinal worldwide at the time of his death.

"In Open to God, Open to the World, [Cardinal Franz Konig] highlights milestones in his service to the church as the Holy See's longest serving cardinal and tireless bridge-builder between the East and the West with candid and often delightful recollections that leave the reader breathless at the vision and energy of this remarkable man." -America, December 5, 2005 * America: The National Catholic Weekly * "...a splendid primer for an undergraduate course in the theology and politics of the Second Vatican Council" "...a platform from which to survey the challenges and barbarities, the clash of competing ideologies, the emerging church personalities, and the theological conundra that define the last century." "polite and direct, hospitable and refreshingly enthusiastic" -- Michael W. Higgins * pastoral review, the * 'mention of book in piece 'Israel's call to Catholics' -- James Roberts * Tablet, The * 'Koenig is a man and a Church leader for all seasons. His death is a loss to the ecumenicl Church and world. But, thanks to the Communion of Saints and the publication of this delightful book, a legacy is handed on that will will continue to inspire readers within and beyond the Church that he loved' -- Geraldine Smith * The Furrow *