Posted on 11/22/2010 6:58:12 AM PST by marshmallow
Pope Benedict XVI’s book-length interview is certain to spark global attention, and not only for his comments suggesting that condom use might be acceptable in some circumstances.
In the 219-page book, Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times, the German Pontiff spoke candidly on the clerical sex abuse scandal, relations with Islam, papal resignation and the “threatening catastrophe” facing humanity.
The wide-ranging interview was conducted by German writer Peter Seewald, who posed questions in six one-hour sessions last summer. The book was to be released tomorrow at the Vatican, but ample excerpts were published three days earlier by the Vatican newspaper.
The book reveals a less formal side of the Pope, as he responds simply and directly on topics as diverse as the joy of sex and the ban on burqas. Much of the conversation focuses on the Pope’s call for a global “examination of conscience” in the face of economic disparity, environmental disasters and moral slippage.
The Pope repeatedly emphasised that the Church’s role in a largely broken world is not to impose a “burden” of moral rules but to open the doors to God.
Even before the book’s release, media attention centred on the Pope’s remarks on condoms in Aids prevention. While repeating his view that condoms cannot be the only answer to the Aids epidemic, the Pope allowed that in some specific cases – for example, that of male prostitutes – use of a condom could be a step toward taking moral responsibility for one’s actions.
An entire chapter and parts of others were dedicated to the clerical sex abuse scandal. The Pope called it “a great crisis” that left him “stunned by how wretched the Church is, by how much her members fail to follow Christ”.
“It was really almost like the crater of a volcano, out of which suddenly a tremendous cloud of filth came, darkening and soiling everything, so that above all the priesthood suddenly seemed to be a place of shame,” he said.
He expressed optimism about the Church’s recovery from the scandal, saying God continues to raise up Catholic saints. But he also said he understands why some Catholics, particularly victims, have responded by leaving the Church in protest.
“It is difficult for them to keep believing that the Church is a source of good, that she communicates the light of Christ, that she helps people in life – I can understand that,” he said.
The Pope said media coverage of the abuse scandal was partly motivated by a desire to discredit the Church. But he added that the Church must be “grateful for every disclosure” and said the media could not have reported in this way “had there not been evil in the Church”.
The Pope pointed to the Church’s new rules and policies on sex abuse, but he appeared to acknowledge that more might have been done. He noted that in 2002, the Vatican and US bishops established strict norms to curb sex abuse in US dioceses.
“Would it have been Rome’s duty, then, to say to all the countries expressly: find out whether you are in the same situation? Maybe we should have done that,” he said.
The Pope said that in responding to sex abuse allegations against the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, the late Mexican Fr Marcial Maciel Degollado, “unfortunately we addressed these things very slowly and late”. The allegations were eventually substantiated and the order has been placed under Vatican leadership for a period of reform.
Pope Benedict said Fr Maciel remains for him “a mysterious figure”, one who lived an immoral and twisted life but who built up his religious order with dynamism – a “false prophet” who nevertheless had a “positive effect”. As for the future of the Legionaries, the Pope said it was basically sound but needed corrections that do not destroy the enthusiasm of its members.
The Pope was asked if he considered resigning in the face of such burdens as the sex abuse crisis. He said: “When the danger is great one must not run away. For that reason, now is certainly not the time to resign.” But he added that if a Pope is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of the papacy, he has a right and perhaps an obligation to resign.
The pope spoke candidly of his age and health, saying his schedule of meetings and trips “really overtaxes an 83-year-old man”.
“I trust that our dear Lord will give me as much strength as I need to be able to do what is necessary. But I also notice that my forces are diminishing,” he said.
The Pope laughed when Seewald suggested that he looked good enough to be a fitness trainer, and said he has to conserve energy during his busy days. Asked whether he uses an exercise bike a doctor had given him, the Pope replied: “No, I don’t get to it at all – and don’t need it at the moment, thank God.”
He said he spends his free time reading, praying and sometimes watching DVDs – typically with religious themes – with members of the papal household.
Much of the book dealt with the Pope’s strategy for presenting the Church’s message in a largely sceptical world. The essential problem today, he said, is that the prevailing model of economic and social progress that leaves out God, and thus omits the ethical aspect.
Impending climactic disaster actually provides an opportunity to evangelise and promote moral decisions, he said. The problem, though, is that populations and countries seem unwilling to make sacrifices – which is where the Church can make a difference, he said.
It is urgent to “bring the question about God back into the centre,” he said. “The important thing today is to see that God exists, that God matters to us and that he answers us.”
He said the Church can do this only if its own members live the faith in their daily lives. He said that simple task should be the priority today, rather than embarking on major initiatives like a third Vatican Council.
The Pope said the Church’s task was threatened by a “new intolerance” that would limit religious expression in the name of non-discrimination, for example in banning the display of crucifixes in public schools, or in condemning specific church teachings.
“When, for example, in the name of non-discrimination, people try to force the Catholic Church to change her position on homosexuality or the ordination of women, then that means she is no longer allowed to live out her own identity,” he said.
In that regard, the Pope said other religions face similar pressures. He said, for example, that he saw no reason for western countries to ban the burqa, the Islamic veil, as long as it is worn voluntarily.
On other topics, Pope Benedict had this to say:
- He defended the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which taught that artificial contraception in marriage is morally wrong, but said the Church needs to find ways to help people live the teaching and show tolerance to those who have problems with it.
The Pope noted that the Church accepts natural regulation of conception. He said that method presupposes that couples take time for each other, and is far different from taking a pill “so that I can jump into bed with a random acquaintance”. In general, he said, the Church has to return to the “genuinely Christian attitude” of joy, as well as discipline and responsibility, in sexuality.
- He said dialogue with Muslims had improved during his pontificate, in part because Muslim scholars accept that Islam needs to clarify its relation to violence and its relation to reason.
- The Pope took issue with critics of the wartime policies of Pope Pius XII, saying that he “saved more Jews than anyone else” by quietly opening doors to Church institutions.
- He said he began distributing Communion on the tongue during papal Masses not because he was opposed to Communion in the hand, but to “send a signal” about respect for the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
He took responsibility for the Church's side. But the media does love anything that makes the Church look bad, and will push it as hard as it can. Benedict is correct.
He was stunned! Well so was I
I wonder what he means by the “threatening catastrophe” facing humanity?
Yeah, the media caused the church to rape children...
Whatever.
He took responsibility for the Church's role in that. But there is also the fact that the media latched onto any Church scandal like a pit bull, looking for any reason to take it down. Benedict is not excusing the actions of the priests or the Church, and is not trying to deflect that responsibility onto the media. He is simply telling the truth.
Atta boy!
The secret, Sarge, is in knowing when to stop.
Forked tongue nonsense? He said the church should be grateful for every disclosure, and added that the media could not have reported this way if there hadn’t been evil in the church!
At the same time, the media was concerned with anything but purifying the church. The so-called “pedophilia crisis” was, in fact, a homosexuality crisis; 90% of the acts were homosexual in nature, and 90% of the “children” were post-pubescent, the very sort of relationships the media usually presents as “discovering” the victims “in-born sexuality.” Given the media’s moral values, the only crime was hypocrisy. And of course, hypocrisy is only a crime when the standard being failed in conservatism; Al Gore is never a hypocrite for flying around the world in a private jet.
What sets the Catholic church apart from school teachers, youth counsellors, etc.? Not the abuse rate, not the nature of the abuse, but only that the Catholic church rejects the claim that homosexuality is normal and worthy of praise, and that the liberal media perceives the Catholic church as an objectively evil organization.
What sets the Catholic churches apart from Protestant? Again, not the abuse rate, not the nature of the abuse, but only that the Catholic church has a heirarchy for the lawyers to follow up to the big money payouts.
“But,” you ask, “doesn’t the Catholic Church’s hierarchy bear responsibility for shuffling around the pederasts?” Absolutely. But that doesn’t make it unique, either. When Catholic priests have been found guilty of sexual offenses, many bishops scandalously simply reassigned the priests to other parishes. Usually, this occurred after lay psychologists certified the priest as “healed” and no longer dangerous, but it’s still outrageous that the diocese didn’t notify anyone, even after the accusations were found to be credible.
But consider how Protestant churches handled such situations: A given church finds accusations of abuse credible, and they simply dismiss the pastor. How often, instead of suing, revoking credentials or pressing charges, did they simply dismiss the pastor? “Yes, but they didn’t place him in another parish.”
Didn’t they? As long as he leaves with his reputation and credentials intact, isn’t it a near certainty he will attach himself to another congregation, even if in a lesser role? Plausible deniability is not innocence; if anything, it’s more insidious.
There you have it...That’s why the media is on your religion like flies on,,,whatever it is they like to land on...
Constant denial...’We’re lousy stinking bad, but so are you...So leave us alone’...
Trouble is, there ain’t no truth to it and we and the media know it...
Some people on this forum can't handle the truth.
Pot calling kettle black. You and your buddy sarge have a thing goin' on—quite a twosome!
“The so-called “pedophilia crisis” was, in fact, a homosexuality crisis; 90% of the acts were homosexual in nature, and 90% of the “children” were post-pubescent”
I agree, this is the real problem, and nothing will truly end this situation until the homosexual problem among priests is addressed.
I praise the pope for saying that the Church should be grateful for every disclosure, and you interpret that as “so leave us alone”? Very curious.
>> That’s why the media is on your religion like flies on,,,whatever it is they like to land on... <<
Lovely.
Well, the good news is that by 1990 (before the media ever found out about the problem), the incidence of abuse was down over 95%. Pope John Paul II may have been slow to recognize the depth of the problem (in Poland, it was SOP for the Communists to smear their opponents with allegations of homosexuality), but he excelled in repairing the Roman Catholic priesthood. A more confrontational approach may have been more satisfying for those righty seeking justice, but possibly far less successful in the long run.
Homosexuality was not the entirety of the sexual abuse scandals, however, so while the sex abuse has been dealt with, I’m afraid the homosexuality (and the heresy that accompanies it) is still a grave danger in the priesthood. The good news on this front is that it seems we’ve reached the tipping point where the compromised no longer outnumber the clean. The rejection of Bp. Kicanis in favor of Abp. Dolan to lead the US Council of Catholic Bishops is a stunning testament to this.
From everything else he’s written on, I presume he means dehumanization.
God Bless Benedict! And I´m not even Christian.
Yes - that could be it. Makes sense.
Many Catholics on FR neither believe that the Church should be grateful, nor that there was evil in the Church. They spit in the face of their own pope.
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