Prominent Swiss theologian turns 90

Hans Küng, pictured here in 1982, is a controversial figure in the Catholic church. Keystone

Admonished as well as celebrated, outspoken Swiss Catholic theologian Hans Küng is 90 years old today – Saint Joseph’s Day. 

An ordained priest, Küng was a theology professor at Tübingen University in Germany. He served as a theological adviser to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), and was the first major Catholic theologian to reject papal infallibility. The Vatican revoked his right to teach Catholic theology in 1979. 

In 1995 Küng established the Global Ethic FoundationExternal link, which aims to help teach children basic ethical rules and understanding of values. 

For his work Küng has won a number of awards, such as the Lev-Kopelev and Buddhist peace prizes and the Interfaith Education Award. He has also written and co-authored several books in German and English.

In this report from the 2003 archives of Swiss Radio International – the predecessor of swissinfo.ch – Küng discusses his book, Hard-won Freedom, with journalist Jonathan Summerton.