After Mass last Sunday, some friends came up to me and asked what the scriptural references were to the doctrine of Purgatory. I responded with 2 Maccabees 12:45 and Matthew 5:26, but was cut off by another parishioner/friend before I could continue. “Carl Reiner says that Purgatory only lasts a split second, so don’t worry about that!”, she said. The conversation was over in her mind, as they wanted to get to the weekly breakfast of parishioners at the local restaurant. (As an aside, this happy post-Mass breakfast had been a tradition for years, but parishioners only started saying Grace before the meal at my gentle prodding).
I mentioned to my second friend that Carl Reiner was the producer of the Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960’s, but if she were referring to Karl Rahner, the theologian, he was a heretic and his theology was rejected by the Magisterium. She replied, “Well he’s still very popular” and although I wanted to say “Satan is popular too”, I didn’t.
After doing some carefull research on Rahner and his theological teachings, I sent an email apologizing to my friend. “Heretic” was too strong a word, especially since it’s not up to me to determine heresy. Rahner was censured by different Popes, but at the end of his life (1984) was back in good graces with the Church, something we want for everyone. Et Unum Sint.
Still, he was favored by “Catholics for Choice” and other radical groups, so his theology is considered fringe as opposed to mainstream. His supporters consider it “reformist”. With the goal of not ending up in Purgatory like the example person from Matthew 5:26, who didn’t make peace with his brother, an apology and explanation seemed like the best way to go. But I did include in my email to her a photo and bio of Carl Reiner: