Posted on 04/19/2005 3:13:15 PM PDT by Pokey78
Aspellbinding pause came after the words "habemus papam" were pronounced on the balcony of St Peter's at 5.43 yesterday, before the name was given. Then came "Josef" - Josef Ratzinger. Those watching, in the city and the world, waited during those seconds, agog to know the identity of the new Pope. But why should the world care who the new Pope is?
The answer lies in the extraordinary influence of the last papacy, of Pope John Paul II. Geopolitically, it changed the face of the world, not least by bringing the Soviet empire tumbling down. John Paul's importance was recognised by the turnout of world leaders at his funeral, and not just those who agreed with his principles.
Cardinal Ratzinger was one of two cardinals in this conclave who had voted for John Paul II. Yet he is not John Paul III, but Benedict XVI. It was 1978 when we last had a new pope, and many have forgotten the interest and uncertainty such a change brings. No one can predict the reign.
Some hopes of the secular world certainly will not be fulfilled. Western liberals are shocked by the Church's attitude to abortion, contraception, practising homosexuality, the ordination of women and the ordination of married men. But the Western world will be disappointed if it expects Pope Benedict to countenance abortion or sex outside marriage. Movement might have been expected on the ordination of married men, a matter of discipline, not moral doctrine.
But in whatever years are left to Pope Benedict, 78 last Saturday, no betting man would put money on change even here.
Cardinal Ratzinger was no monstrous obscurantist. He did not tolerate out-of-line theologians teaching in the name of the Church, but at least he was a proper theologian with an international reputation himself. As a theologian he attended the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), and he intends to continue its engagement of the Church with the world. But, in line with that council, how open will he be to collegial authority, and will he see the laity as prime movers of the Church in the new century?
His choice of the patronal name Benedict invokes his unfortunate predecessor Benedict XV, elected at the beginning of the First World War, and dead eight years later, worn out by unsuccessful efforts for peace. But the name also refers back to St Benedict, the builder of Western monasticism.
At the opening of this conclave, Cardinal Ratzinger delivered a sermon stressing continuity of religious doctrine in contrast with the endless experiment of secular ideologies, seesawing from "Marxism to free-market liberalism, even to libertarianism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism". If St Benedict of old built a new Christian society for a Europe ruined by the fall of the Roman Empire, Pope Benedict is confident that he knows where to look for a vision to transform newly decayed Europe and the world.
It is no business of a national newspaper to decide the pastoral priorities of a man Catholics call the Vicar of Christ. Some readers will be very interested in his reverent attitude to liturgy. As far as Britain, its Queen and Government go, there is a presumption of friendship with the Pope, cemented by the visit of John Paul II in 1982. Society shares with the Church the furtherance of family values, education, social cohesion, peace and aspirations to human fulfilment, with a rejection of a culture of pornocracy or drugs. Christian rivalries no longer turn the Pope into Antichrist. Pope Benedict's task is daunting, and he asked in his first public words for prayers. He surely has those of Christians and the good wishes of many beyond his flock.
Dang, Meek! They are coming out of the woods or something?!!? Yeesh.
coming out of the wood.
i think they just pounce on any major event that is rightious, but in there gay world it is more doom and gloom.
sheeesh there world is so dark it must truely be unberable for there miserable souls :)
BWWWAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAA
The majority of homosexuals need to tell the Lavender Mafia to FOAD. They are making the entire homosexual community look bad with their radical anti-God, pedophiliac, mindlessly carnal, and drug addicted deathstyle. Like the priests said:
"Speak now or forever hold your peace."
Prayers sent.
And in some places, they can't line up fast enough to 'help'. Excellent comments!
"Speak now or forever hold your peace."
And when they don't, will you start wondering if the
"majority of homosexuals" only keep the rhetoric toned down and pretend not to be "radical anti-God, pedophiliac, mindlessly carnal, and drug addicted" to provide plausible deniability for the activists?
People who suffer from same-sex attraction disorder are ill. Some are sicker than others, but the worst thing you can do to any of them is to allow them to pretend that their illness is health.
I never saw SNL during those years, so I'm not sure just what your graphic is meant to imply.
They are ramping into full tantrum mode. The lefties were so sure, so certain they would prevail with a progressive Pope and in the election last fall, too. It's a little fun to watch them race to try to one-up each other with false accusations and vitriolic untruths. Heads will be exploding.
Agreed. The worst thing we can do to homosexuals is to keep them in that lifestyle. They need help.
Heh. I can't wait for them to self-destruct. Justice, liberty, and the american way would trimph over communism once and for all.
"Heads will be exploding."
Oh, if only...
Stay tuned. :-)
Just because we are conservative doesn't mean we are anti-modernist, does it? The Catholic Church certainly embraces science and philosophy. What are American democracy, capitalism, the bill of rights, and internet blogging if not modernist?
Wow. This is a terrific line, and shows this man's vast intelligence and understanding of the effects of immorality on a variety of issues. I love the compare and contrast of what he sees as immorality on both ends of the spectrum, and agree with him 100%.
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