Posted on 04/03/2005 9:46:35 PM PDT by ndkos
SYDNEY, (AFP) - Australian Cardinal George Pell reassured fellow Church traditionalists that the Vatican conclave that will meet this week to choose a successor to Pope John Paul II will pick another conservative.
Pell, who arrived in Rome on Sunday to help choose the next pope, told ABC radio that the one certainty about the next pontiff is that he will hold to John Paul's staunch conservative line on theological issues.
"I'm quite sure that the general line -- fidelity to basic Catholic teachings -- is absolutely unassailable," he said.
"There will be debate and discussion on what is the best way to present the message of Christ, the best way to live a Catholic life," he said, but added, "I don't think that anyone who really knows the church believes that any radical change is likely."
"I believe that the general line and the tradition will continue," said Pell, who also serves as the Archbishop of Sydney, adding he had discussed the papal succession with a number of fellow cardinals.
John Paul alienated some Catholics with his refusal to even consider the ordination of women priests or to allow priests to marry, his reaffirmation of the Church ban on artificial contraception and his handling of demands for a broad reform of the priesthood.
Canberra Catholic Bishop Pat Power expressed the hope Monday that the cardinals who will choose John Paul's successor would pick a pontiff more open to modern thinking.
"I would hope whoever is elected will be someone that will read the signs of the times and be prepared to say what are the needs of God's people today, what is the opportunity for us in these times to make the Christian message relevant in our circumstances," Power said.
Power said two key issues facing the Church were the shortage of priests and the longstanding rule against married clergy.
"The main area of concern that I would have, would be the church's discipline where we are not prepared to ordain married men to the priesthood," he said.
"I feel that because of the diminishing numbers of young, suitable people going into the priesthood that we need to be open to that possibility," he said.
But Pell, an arch-conservative on these same issues, said the majority of Catholic's would support continuing John Paul's conservative legacy.
"Those who want radical change realise that they had no hope while he was in charge and I hope with the next pope there'll be a similar sense of security."
The next pope will be elected in a secret conclave -- a meeting held under lock and key -- by 117 cardinals.
Nearly 100 of the cardinals were appointed by John Paul II.
Come to think of it, does Cardinal Pell speak Italian?
I am feeling slightly less worried now, and am becoming increasingly hopeful that we will have a very holy Pope in the next few weeks!
Pell for Pope!
I know Cardinal Pell personally. He would be an outstanding Pope.
Come on, folks, contact your local Cardinal now...PELL for POPE...Put an Aussie in the Vatican!
Pell sounds good. After all, if the Pope could be Polish, why not an Aussie?:)
But on the issue of a new pope I must state - If the Pope isn't conservative, then who will be?
what I mean is, the balance needed in today's world can only be maintained if there is a Pope who is strongly conservative. We are all prone to be lax by nature, and suffer from our wont to justify our own inability to deny ourselves of pleasures- or allow others to do the same. If the rules are too easy morality is the looser in the game of life.
Conservatism, and the moral values it imposes gives us standards to live by. We may not agree with them such as: the good Catholics who practice birth control measures that are disapproved by the Church. However, it is our choice to do so, with full knowledge of the fact that such is not approved. But, it does give us the standard, and without the high standard, all would be chaos. The Papacy must be on the opposite side of the swinging pendulum from those who would allow undisciplined behavior. Somewhere in the middle is where most people usually find themselves. Thus, the balance.
ROFL! That's what *I'm* talkin' about!
What happened to the fact that the 117 Cardinals who can take part in the conclave are bound by Canon Law not to speculate? At least that's what I have been led to believe.
Irks me.
Not sure I can see an Aussie being Polish .....
Cardinal Pell is more than capable of taking on the role so well played by JPII.
Strength is one of his many virtues.
My impression is that is with regard to Names rather than Qualities? Seems a little silly to make "what makes a good Pope" verboten for discussion.
Expect an increase in static from the usual agitators and troublemakers.
Pell is correct, though. Although JPII is gone, his legacy looms large and will do so for years to come. This is not like a change of secular government where a new administration completely changes the direction of the ship.
JPII has left his imprint on the Church for ever more.
That would be more like 10 years wouldn't it?
When I was in Australia in '93-'94, Paul Keating was the Labor Prime Minister.
If memory serves, he was defeated in '96.
Does Cardinal Pell speak Italian. :^).
He certainly speaks Latin. He is chair of Vox Clara, the commission to fix the atrocious translations of the ICEL Novus Ordo (the modern liturgy). Get ready to say, "And also with your spirit," instead of "and also with you," thanks to Pell.
I think Pell would say he is not speculating, but assuring the flock. Note that he did NOT say "the next Pope will be conservative." That wording is the editor's. What he said was, "I'm quite sure that the general line -- fidelity to basic Catholic teachings -- is absolutely unassailable." That's not speculation, that's instruction.
But I will say that while he did not drive over the cliff, he came close enough that if he were literally driving along a cliff, my mother would be breathing through her teeth, pressing her foot into the floor and clutching the armrest.
It seems to me that those who are so eager to pronouce "John Paul The Great" might have a vested interest in the next pope being as clearly opposed to contraception, the "ordination" of women and homosexual "marriage" in the Church as was JPII. The reason I say this might not be obvious to the reader.
But then again, maybe it is. Let's see. If anyone thinks they can explain why the next pope could have an effect on whether "The Great" is a moniker that will endure for long with JPII, let him say why.
You are a silly person, and worse yet, you caught my fox paw faus pax.:)
Best regards
I found the site "episcopal spine alert" has interesting discussions on the good, bad and ugly.
http://episcopalspinealert.blogspot.com/
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