Source for theology of the future.

The German Edition of the Complete Works of Karl Rahner (1904-1984) was celebrated in Munich on April 19^th. During the ceremony in the Jesuit School of Philosophy the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, honored the work of the famous Jesuit theologian and philosopher as a "great treasure and source for what we will do theologically in the future". The Edition comprises more than 27,000 pages in 40 volumes and is published by the Publishing House Herder (Freiburg).

Marx said that Rahner taught him to think in the present day's horizon. A theology that does not confront the thought and life of its time is superfluous. A self-referential theological approach, which he occasionally experiences, has no future, said the archbishop of Munich and Freising. He wished that as many theologians would be inspired by Rahners works.

Rahner is one of the most important Catholic Theologians of the 20th century and a bridge builder between classical and modern theology. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), where he was engaged in the preparation and as Peritus ("expert"), was highly influenced by his thoughts. Rahner found his themes in church history, the Ignatian spirituality and the tradition of the Jesuit order, and the questions that brought readers and listeners to him. So he was not only concerned with God's universal salvific will, but also with the railway mission or with the needs of parish libraries. Until now, his considerations of ecumenism, of some structural problems within the roman curia, priestly celibacy or ordination are discussed, and other hot-button issues.

The Edition includes all writings published by Rahner himself, from encyclopedia articles to monographs, as well as his interviews and a few unpublished manuscripts, including a student essay, in which he describes the cleaning and tidying of his teachers at a School trip. The theologian was born in a teacher family at Freiburg and joined 1922 the Society of Jesus. The register of works includes about 1,900 independent publications. Philip Endean SJ (Paris) presented the French Edition „Œuvres de Karl Rahner“ (Cerf) including already 7 volumes.