Hi, Jack-
I sometimes think Hans Küng goes a bit too far, but I agree with most of what he has to say. He and Benedict XVI were colleagues as Theology professors at Tübingen, and Benedict seems to have a good deal of affection for him - despite their obvious disagreement. It's an interesting thing about Benedict - he can disagree profoundly with people and still respect them. A 2008 article in Time Magazine says this trait of Benedict's may have caused the death of Catholic liberalism, but I don't think that's the case. We Catholic liberals are alive and kicking.

Another voice to be reckoned with is Richard McBrien, former chair of the Theology department at Notre Dame. His personal Website is http://www.richardmcbrien.com/, and his columns can be found at the National Catholic Reporter, http://ncronline.org/user/16. You will find columns from Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister and a number of others at the same URL - and you will find all of them interesting. McBrien's column used to be carried in a number of Catholic diocesan newspapers. Now that the appointees of John Paul II lead most dioceses, very few diocesan newspapers carry McBrien's column - but McBrien is still out there speaking the truth to those who will listen.

Father Andrew Greeley has been sidelined by an automobile accident, but his Website contains a lot of challenging ideas. I'm not sure how he's able to survive, but Father Ron Rolheiser is still published in a number of diocesan newspapers. And if you want to take a look at a really refreshing Catholic voice (who is really disturbing to bishops), look at Edwina Gateley.

All of these people are far more critical (and far more credible) than most of the Mudcat posts I see on the Catholic Church - but their ideas are constructive, and the Mudcat posts are (for the most part) destructive.

-Joe-