33 minutes ago
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Europe - AP |
Posted on 04/03/2005 10:19:56 AM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
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33 minutes ago
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By BRIAN MURPHY, AP Religion Writer
VATICAN CITY - Roman Catholics and others began to speak out Sunday about their hopes — and expectations — for a new pope, as the intense guessing game began over who would succeed John Paul II in leading the Church.
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Only one thing is certain: The cardinals must decide whether to follow John Paul II with another non-Italian or hand the papacy back to its traditional caretakers.
Cardinal Bernard Panafieu, one of five French prelates with a papal vote, said Sunday he was hoping for someone "who dynamizes the people — God's people — as John Paul II did. At the same time, a man who has an international sense, of the opening of Catholicism to the world. An open man and at the same time, a man faithful to the great traditions of the Church."
The Polish-born John Paul was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and brought a new vitality to the Vatican, challenging parochial attitudes throughout the church. One view — echoed from outside Roman Catholicism by Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu — holds that the papal electors will want to maintain the spirit by recognizing the Roman Catholic influence outside Europe in Latin America and Africa.
"We hope that perhaps the cardinals when they meet will follow the first non-Italian pope by electing the first African pope," Tutu said Sunday from Cape Town, South Africa.
Another theory suggests that the Italians will press to reclaim the papacy after John Paul's 26-year reign — the third-longest in history.
There is no clear favorite when the 117 cardinals begin their secret conclave later this month.
But names often mentioned as "papabile" — the Italian word for possible papal candidates — include Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Vatican-based Nigerian, and Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes.
Arinze, 72, converted to Roman Catholicism as a child and shares some of John Paul's conservative views on contraception and family issues. But he brings a unique element: representing a nation shared between Muslims and Christians at the time when interfaith relations assume growing urgency. If elected, he would be the first black pope of modern times.
Hummes, 70, is archbishop of Sao Paolo, Brazil, and urges more attention to fighting poverty and the effects of a globalized economies. His supporters note that Brazil's role as a Latin American political and economic heavyweight could help the Vatican counter the popularity of emerging evangelical churches in the region.
Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodiguez Maradiaga of Honduras, the 62-year-old archbishop of Tegucigalpa, is also mentioned as a possible candidate. But he could be too much of a break for Vatican conservatives. He has studied clinical psychology and has a dynamic, outspoken style.
Among Italians, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, the archbishop of Milan, is a moderate with natural pastoral abilities and an easy style that appeals to the young. But Tettamanzi, 71, is not considered widely traveled and some critics believe he could impose too strong an Italian outlook.
Other Italians widely mentioned as possible candidates include: Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, 63, who is relatively young and brings a cosmopolitan flair from his city, a historic cultural crossroads; and Giovanni Battista Re, 71, who has served as president of the Vatican commission for Latin America since 2001.
Within Europe, several cardinals are seen as possible rising stars, potentially able to win support in the way Karol Wojtyla, then archbishop of Krakow, Poland, did in the 1978 conclave that elevated him to pope. They include: Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the 69-year-old archbishop of Vienna, Austria, who is multilingual and has diplomatic flair, and Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, 71, who is well known in political and diplomatic circles.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, another French elector, said Sunday he hoped for a powerful figure to follow John Paul.
"When you see his face, and when you hear him speak, you should have the impression like that made by the arrival of John Paul II in October 1978: 'Wow, here you can see Christ come among us,'" Barbarin said in an interview with radio network France Inter.
Europe has the biggest bloc with 58 papal electors — cardinals under 80 years old. Italy alone has 20.
Latin America has 21 and Africa brings 11. The United States also has 11 cardinals and could sway the voting if they remain united. An American pope, however, is considered a virtual impossibility because of the Vatican would avoid any such a deep and complicated association with the world's sole superpower.
Any other forecast would find itself on shaky ground.
One only has to recall that after two days and eight rounds of voting 26 years ago, the name of Karol Wojtyla — never mentioned as a serious candidate — was announced to the crowd in St. Peter's Square. Many there were baffled.
Arinze sounds like a terrific candidate, although the person to watch in all of this is Jean-Marie Lustiger, the former Archbishop of Paris, i.e. 'Glory of the Olive'.
"Where is the discussion about how reliably orthodox their beliefs are?"
Uh, see above, his remarks at Georgetown.
His orthodoxy is right. That he is dynamic, from Africa, and would help spread the Church to all parts of the world are just the icing on the cake.
Now, yeah - there will be racists, both Catholic and non-Catholic who will piss and moan (along with libs that hate that he is conservative). That would be too bad - for them.
It's possible that one or more of the three early African popes were black, but more likely they were coastal North Africans, descendants of the Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and other basically white people who lived there.
If Cardinal Arinze is elected pope, the media will hate him more than they hate Clarence Thomas, but they would have a hell of a time (phrase deliberately used) demonizing him (also deliberately used). He is very warm, outgoing, and likeable.
Thanks to you all too. Very interesting, but Pittsburgh, your St. Victor I looks a wee bit modern to me. The Pope in the hood?
Not sure, but as hubby said: nobody's got bling like the Pope's got bling!
they don't even play good basketball any more
just like Notre Dame and football....
If Arinze is chosen, he might use a name of an earlier African pope, or the name of an important African saint who wasn't pope, like Augustinus, Athanasius, or Cyprianus (bishop of Carthage, martyred in 258). Cyrillus is another name with African associations--St. Cyril of Alexandria was a major figure in the fifth century (and "pope" in the sense of Patriarch of Alexandria, since that title is given to the current Coptic patriarch).
"That church off to the side looks awfully 20th-century to me..."
Yes, extremely, now that you point it out. And that expression, I doubt anyone ever had the expression on their face before oh, say 1956 or so. Very "ironical"!
Well, it is interesting to wonder about who the next Pope will be, whoever it is, John Paul II will be a tough act to follow.
The speculation will soon be over.
"In many parts of the world, the family is under siege", the cardinal said, according to a transcript of his remarks provided by the university. "It is opposed by an anti-life mentality as is seen in contraception, abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia. It is scorned and banalized by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions and cut in two by divorce."
Oh, Arinze is orthodox alright!
Looks like a black county commissioner here in Dallas, John Wiley Price.
My money is on a Roman Catholic.
Why? Are Catholics inherently racist?
The late John Paul II was a compromise. Two or three other candidates had more votes, but not enough, so one Cardinal, an American, lobbied hard for Karol W. and lo and behold, he had enough votes.
I read somewhere that the number of Latin and African Cardinals outnumber the Europeans. If that is the case the Europeans dont have much leverage in picking one of their own.
I always wondered the same thing; why everyone made a big deal about JPII being the "first non-Italian pope" for some 400 years, as if the Italians had a RIGHT to be pope.
I suppose the only thing I can think of is that the Italians are possessive of the role because the pope would have to live in Italy and be someone who knew and understood the culture and language of the country pretty well. Although IMHO, I don't think that should be the only reason to go with an Italian. After all, the pope is pope of the UNIVERSAL Church, not just Italy.
I would LOVE Arinze to get the job, however i think the fact that he's considered a "favourite" jinxes him. In the past elections, NONE of the so-called "favourites" got the job. It was always someone no-one expected.
Arinze is a favorite of conservatives. That might be enough to doom him. He is not a fav of those that are lib, and those that believe in Liberation Theology (Marxism with a collar).
we can call him Pope Daddy
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