Ulrich Lehner
Department of Theology
William K. Warren Professor
- The papacy
- Vatican councils and conclaves
- Pope Benedict XVI
- History of Catholicism after 1500
- Catholicism and the Enlightenment
- 20th-century German history
- German Catholic Church
- Catholic Church and Naziism
- Global Catholic history
- Catholic eschatology
Lehner’s Latest News
Lehner in the News
Crux
New book explores deep roots of Jesuit role in current crisis
March 20, 2024
The pattern of behavior shown by Jesuit leadership in the management of at least one current high-profile scandal has centuries of institutional practice behind it. That’s according to one prominent historian, Ulrich Lehner of the University of Notre Dame, who has just published a German-language study of the Jesuits’ historical handling of abuse in their ranks.
Katholische.de
Historian: Abuse in the Church is not a modern problem
February 20, 2024
The German historian and Catholic theologian Ulrich L. Lehner from the renowned University of Notre Dame in the USA has written a book about sexual abuse among the Jesuits. Almost all of the problems facing the church in the abuse crisis were already known in the 17th and 18th centuries, he writes.
Irish Catholic
Historian: Sexual abuse is not a modern problem
February 19, 2024
According to the German historian and theologian Ulrich L. Lehner, all the problems of the Catholic Church in the abuse crisis were already known in the 17th and 18th centuries. “The Jesuits liked to present themselves as a particularly chaste order,” said the author of the book from the renowned University of Notre Dame in the USA in an interview with the Swiss KNA partner portal kath.ch. “This staging worked because cases of sexual violence against students and members of the order were kept secret.”
Crux
Vatican note on blessing same-sex unions draws mixed US reaction
December 19, 2023
“Its imprecise language invites misunderstanding and will sow confusion. Moreover, some bishops will use it as a pretext to do what the document explicitly forbids, especially since the Vatican has not stopped them before,” said Ulrich Lehner, the University of Notre Dame William K. Warren Professor of Theology.
Associated Press
Pope approves blessings for same-sex couples that must not resemble marriage
December 18, 2023
University of Notre Dame theologian Ulrich Lehner was also concerned, saying it would merely sow confusion and could lead to division in the church. “The Vatican’s statement is, in my view, the most unfortunate public announcement in decades,” he said in a statement.
Reuters
Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples in landmark ruling
December 18, 2023
Ulrich L. Lehner, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, said the new guidance from the doctrinal office "invites misunderstanding and will sow confusion". Voicing concern that some bishops would use it as a pretext to do what is explicitly forbidden, the professor added, "it is, and I hate to say it, an invitation to schism".
Slate
The Politics of Being Pope Francis
January 20, 2023
Making things more tenuous, according to Ulrich Lehner, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, Francis has rejected the typical practice of using the College of Cardinals as an advisory board in favor of consulting a small circle of trusted advisers.
USA Today
Fact check: Pope’s death confirmed with traditional means, not hammer
January 11, 2023
The claim that a hammer is used for tapping on the pope's head is “a legend," though one that has been "repeated countless times as early as the 1850s," said Ulrich Lehner, a University of Notre Dame theology professor.
Fox 5 New York
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s reported last words: ‘Lord, I love you’
Video
January 01, 2023
Pope Benedict XVI died Saturday at the age of 95, according to the Vatican. Ulrich Lehner with the University of Notre Dame spoke with LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow about the retired pope's legacy.
First Things
How to be critical
December 05, 2022
Ulrich L. Lehner is the William K. Warren Professor at the University of Notre Dame and the author of Think Better: Unlocking the Power of Reason.
USA Today
A bunny, eggs and Jesus: How Easter became a holiday full of symbolism
April 14, 2022
"It's the church's highest feast, because, without it, there will be no church," Ulrich Lehner, theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, told USA TODAY.
The American Conservative
Focusing With Philosophy
February 08, 2022
Ulrich L. Lehner is the William K. Warren Professor at the University of Notre Dame.
The Wall Street Journal
Retired Pope Benedict XVI Asks for Forgiveness Over Handling of Sex-Abuse Cases
February 08, 2022
“A calm assessment of his time in Munich shows that he could have and should have made the oversight of priests his priority and scaled back on other engagements. Based on flawed judgment, he trusted fellow priests who let him down, and who covered up abuse and enabled abuse,” said Ulrich Lehner, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
The Pillar
Reason, faith, and why your brain is not a computer
December 03, 2021
Dr. Ulrich Lehner is the William K. Warren Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame and the bestselling author of “God Is Not Nice.”