Edward Schiillebeeckx - In Memoriam

Edward Schillebeeckx – In Memoriam Prof. Dr. Edward Schillebeeckx OP 12 November 1914 – 23 December 2009 Eulogy by his successor Prof. Dr. Hermann Häring In the evening of 23 December 2009 Edward Schillebeeckx OP passed away in Nijmegen. Edward Schillebeeckx was born on 12 November 1914 and in 1934 he joined the Order of St. Dominic. He was one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. From 1957 to 1982 he worked as Professor of Theology at the Faculty of Theology in Nijmegen. He lived through, actively shaped and also suffered through one of the most interesting eras in the Catholic Church. He studied philosophy (1935), then theology (1939) and started his first job as theology lecturer in 1943 in Löwen. This marks the beginning of an exceptional career. From the start he was most interested in the relationships between faith, contemporary culture and human existence. At the same time he was influenced by the impulses originating from the new nouvelle théologie in France. He presents the truths of the Catholic faith not as a rigid system but as a true-to-life interpretation of a living faith into the living god. His first major publication about the sacraments (1952) is received with great enthusiasm. This is followed in 1955 by a book about Maria, and in 1959 by the second version of a work about Christ which was translated into several languages: Christ, Sacrament of the Encounter with God (1960). By now Schillebeeckx had become a recognized publicist and a sought-after speaker. In 1957 Schillebeeckx received a call to join the Faculty of Theology at the Catholic University Nijmegen. This represented a significant gain for the Church in The Netherlands. At the time he still was pretty much alone with his sensitivity for cultural and societal questions, and at the same time he opened up channels for the Catholic theology in The Netherlands to join in the international Catholic discussion. In January of 1959 John XXIII announced the Second Vatican Council. This is the hour of Schillebeeckx; this event will shape his life, his thinking and his actions. He is very much and with great intensity involved in the preparations and will be the most important advisor to the bishops of The Netherlands. Their pastoral letter about the Council (1960), which came for the most part from the pen of E. Schillebeeckx, caused an international stir. Throughout the Council period (1962-1965) he gives lectures to experts, bishops and bishops conferences in Rome. He appears on Dutch TV and puts the Church of The Netherlands on the map. Soon the tremendous dynamics emanating from this Council become evident. An era of renewal for the Church seems to be on the horizon, however, the disappointments are fast in coming and start as early as the 1960’s. But Schillebeeckx sticks to his purpose. He cares about the people with their “joys and hopes, their grieves and fears”, and asks ever