The book, "Rorty, Religion and Metaphysics" was launched on August 5, at the Catholic Theological College on Ponsonby Road, Auckland. Read more in NZCatholic

In an interview in German Catholic journal Herder Korrespondenz, Professor Robert Spaemann said the Pope's cult of spontaneity is not helpful.

"In the Vatican, some people are already sighing: 'Today, he has already again another different idea from yesterday,'" Professor Spaemann said.

"One does not fully get rid of the impression of chaos."

The philosopher praised the Pope's connection to the piety of the people.

But Professor Spaemann also expressed concerns over what he called the Pope's favouring of a "Christendom of deeds", while warning against a "Christendom of ideas".

"I find this formulation awkward. Both have to come together," Professor Spaemann said.

"Francis divides the two areas of the Church - theology and practice. And wants to keep them separate.

"The theologians shall do their work, but the shepherds shall not pay much attention to them.

". . . The theology becomes bloodless and abstract, when the pastoral experience does not flow into it.

"But vice versa, the pastoral care also becomes empty and does not know what it shall teach if it does not have a theological foundation."

Professor Spaemann, 87, is a long time friend of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

The philosopher also expressed concerns about the Pope's preparations for the synod on the family in October.

"It is the intention that two parties meet at the synod which the Pope wants to lead into a dialogue whereby he himself plays the role of a moderator," the professor said.

"In the same time, however, he takes sides already in advance by favouring the position of Cardinal Walter Kasper, he has excluded the John Paul II Institute for Studies on the Family from the pre-synod consultations and tries with the help of explicit pressure to influence those consultations."

Sources

• Lifesitenews
• Image: Stuttgarter-Zeitung