Posted on 04/17/2005 2:55:46 PM PDT by presidio9
Rome -- One-hundred-and-fifteen men will lock themselves into the Sistine Chapel on Monday afternoon, gaze up at the magnificent ceiling fresco of Michelangelo, and start to pray for the collective wisdom to choose the next Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
In a matter of days, one of them will emerge as the leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics and, according to Catholic doctrine, the successor not only to Pope John Paul II but to Saint Peter the Apostle.
"The legacy is incredible. We are at such an important point in the history of the church," said the Rev. Mark Brentnall, 44, an English priest studying in Rome. "It is the one who would least want the keys of Peter who may be the best man."
Brentnall, along with the Rev. Steven Lopes, 30, from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and two other priests, sat in the library of Casa Santa Maria, a seminary just a short walk from Trevi Fountain.
These young priests could live for decades with the choice made in the next few days by the College of Cardinals, whose members' average age is 72.
And so could the rest of the world, for the challenges the new pope faces extend far beyond the confines of the Catholic Church.
In a series of interviews conducted in Rome and Vatican City over the past week, church leaders, scholars and other informed observers said five key issues confront the princes of the church and the man who will be pope.
They are:
-- Bioethical and medical issues such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, birth control and euthanasia;
-- Power-sharing in the church between the pope, the Vatican bureaucracy, individual bishops and national organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops;
-- Globalization and
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
These idiots just don't have a clue
-- Bioethical and medical issues such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, birth control and euthanasia;
There's no issues to be "decided" here - only different approaches to fighting these things.
-- Power-sharing in the church between the pope, the Vatican bureaucracy, individual bishops and national organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops;
The Church is a monarchy, it can be nothing else.
-- The role of women in a patriarchal church that claims Jesus does not authorize their ordination
Women have a role, a very important role - just not the role of ordained ministers.
None of these things can change, no pope has the authority - the secular press just doesn't get it since they are used to Truth being decided by poll.
Just a prediction.
TS
The "power sharing" can change, and has. Paul VI allowed bishops a great deal of leeway, especially in the Episcopal Conferences. JPII reigned that in. Many cardinals desire more of a voice for the conferences again.
Just depends on how much trust the Pope has in his brother bishops.
" Bioethical and medical issues such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, birth control and euthanasia..."
Un-hunh. And so the SFChron rewrites Scripture?
And they wonder why the Rock doesn't change things. Simply because he is the Rock and has been from Peter and Peter follows Christ even to death.
That will only happen when the Pope himself, in the name of the Church, apologizes to the victims and seeks personal contact with them.
PING
They are too, "easy choices". But the right and good options run entirely counter to liberalism.
There is no ethics in 'bioethics'.
The Church better NOT change.
It's that trust in "brother bishops" in the U.S. that has brought diocesan bankruptcies, pederasty scandals, nosediving church attendance, and liturgical abuse. The present crisis in the Church calls for a lot less collegiality and a lot more Catholicism.
I'm still in shock after reading our local rag, The Virginian-Pilot this morning. The editors saw fit to plaster the front page of Sunday's news with a gigantic article regarding the "Papal History is riddled with bloody, gory stories," and "Historically the quest to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church has led to bloody battles for power..."
And of course, the obligatory objections from "I go to Mass every week BUT" Catholics.
I knew Satan would be on the offensive but really, this is getting annoying.
Our role is most important, we give birth to priests!
"Just depends on how much trust the Pope has in his brother bishops." - based on what comes from the American Bishops, I'd say any Pope would be a major fool or schismatic to trust them at all. Look how they have totally failed with the pervert priests - too many involved Bishops were active 'enablers' of the perverts.
Yes, and when the Vatican was informed of the extent of the problem in 1984, it did exactly........nothing.
"Huge issues for Catholics: gender, poverty, bioethics"
There may be huge issues for American pious, moralequivalent, pretenders, but not for the Church.
They are the ones who will have to reform their ways.
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