Posted on 04/16/2005 1:32:49 PM PDT by sinkspur
U.S. Catholics Conflicted Over Papal Power
By RICHARD N. OSTLING
AP Religion Writer
Whether they are lay persons or clergy, independent-minded American Catholics have sometimes chafed about the level of control the Vatican exercised over the U.S. church during Pope John Paul II's tenure.
How the new pontiff handles power-sharing with local bishops - known in church-speak as "collegiality" - will have important implications for the church in America over the coming years.
Under the next pope, says the Rev. Thomas Reese of America magazine, "the church must return to a fuller collegiality that treats bishops as more than echoes for Vatican pronouncements." But others believe that the Vatican's track record was a good one in the last decades of the 20th century, and that American sniping only points out the bishops' laxity in keeping the faith.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
You ARE finding some interesting articles! LOL!
Papal Transition (what happens between one pope and the next)
Vatican Bracing for Papal Succession
When Sad Day Comes, Eyes of World Will Be on Papal Selection [How next Pope will be chosen]
Mahony Flies To Rome For Solemnities, Conclave (Cardinal from Los Angeles to Visit Vatican)
Papal Election and Succession
Interview with Cardinal José Saraiva Martins
Cardinals Head to Vatican for Conclave
Pope's Election Shocked Communist Poland ~~ On an icy October night a quarter-century ago.....
The Next Pope? Twenty leading possibilities
Assessing the Papal Electors
The quest stands upon the edge of a knife... (Hewitt on the Conclave)
Date for election of new pope set (April 18)
The College of Cardinals - What is it, why is it, what they do, and who they are.
A Bishop According to John Paul's Heart?
An American pope just isn't in the cards - U.S. high clergy eligible to be chosen, but world ...
Cardinals Maintain Silence Before Conclave
Progressives, Moderates, Neocons: Notes Before the Conclave
Cardinals Want New Pope to Bridge Divides
U.S. Catholics conflicted over Papal Power
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, it's a wild ride watching the Catholic Church these days...it will be interesting to see what happens in the next 100 days...
The problem is that modern democracy has infected the minds of the world, and especially Catholics. The Holy Father should not care what the world wants him to do... He should only care what Our Lord wants him to do. Our Blessed Lord did not tell St. Peter, "Hey Pete, just go and be a nice guy and make everyone feel good. Oh, and dont forget Petey, blackball those that wana be traditional!" The successor of Peter's primary job is to teach the Truth of Jesus Christ to the Church, Bishops included! They do not SHARE in that power (collegiality). When are people going to realize that they need to conform their opinions and beliefs to that of the immortal and unchangeable teachings of the One True Faith? Omnes Sancte Pontifice, Ora te pro nobis!
You don't want to go there.
Strong stockholders and a board of Directors can fire the CEO.
It was customary for bishops to be chosen by their people in the early Church and at other times in Church History.
The concentration of episcopal selection is a creature of the last 300 years.
Even if that is the case. I do not trust the average lay Catholic in the United States to pick a Catholic Bishop to lead their diocese. The dissent amongst "Catholics" in the United States on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, female ordination, etc would be reflected in the choice of these "Catholics" too lead Mother Church. I would trust Catholics to choose their bishops, I would not trust dissenters and heretics to choose faithful bishops.
Actually, they DO share in that power. You have not read Vatican II, I see.
Every one of these cardinals is a Vatican II bishop. And the word is that most of them want MORE collegiality, not less.
"And the word is that most of them want MORE collegiality, not less."
You wish. The largest voting block is that behind the PanzerKardinal. Why? His PLATFORM. A strong and vibrant external evangalism and a tight discipline internally.
I agree with you. Popular election of bishops worked when the church was small during the Apostolic and Patristic Period. When the community universally declared the faith and held to it. In our secular age I think popular election would be impossible, the bishop elected would be the one who catered to the majority, thus teaching would be determined by majority vote, not by truth.
I would love a papacy of Pope PanzerKardinal I, however, it won't happen. I am hoping for Re, Arinze, or Scola instead, especially since they are no longer really listed as possibilities, which makes them likely to emerge. He who enters a Pope, leaves a Cardinal.
The Paraclete's Will is what matters, and whom He chooses will rule as the Vicar of Christ. The PanzerKardinal has articulated what I perceive to be an authentic message for the Church yesterday, today and forever.
The thing about Vatican II is it can be interperted in many ways, I interpert it in the only way it can be interperted in, in the light of allready established church teachings, meaning the bishops IN UNION with the Pope is the magesterium.
Only the Holy Spirit knows who the next Pope will be. The media can report on speculation and even leaks, but in the end, "Thy will be done". If anyone reads Amy Welborns blog, there is a recent entry by Rod Dreher of Dallas Morning news on how difficult it is to find a parish, a community of comitted Catholics in union with the magesterium, in union with the universal faith so to speak rather than what we have now, parishes and diocese in their own local world. If one thing can be seen, is the lack of a central authority in the church in the last 40 years has destroyed, not built up the faith in the West and in Latin America even, and even India where the growth of the Catholic church there has stagnated.
Maybe its time to go back to Ratzingers mustard seed, what that entails, who knows, maybe it would be setting up a parallel structure of Bishops in union with Rome, the true magesterium, in union with tradition, while letting the rest wither away, much as the Arian heresy withered away. Its sad that the de facto core message of the church as represented by so many parishes went from being "follow me" to being "you are all right".
According to the New York Times (which has no way of knowing), Ratzinger has 50 votes.
The largest voting bloc is the 65 cardinals who are not lined up behind Ratzinger.
LOL< yeah. Except they are divided and splintered. The Roman press has the PanzerKarndial at over 60 so far, 17 to go Deacon and your nightmare can begin.
Ratzinger will never be Pope. He may very well broker the next Pope, however.
LOL! Thinking of all the collegiality that went on in the US during the Communion Connundrum.
Also appreciated the collegiality among the US bishops during the recent Terri Schiavo episode.
Personally, I'd love to see Ratzinger in there but whoever is elected will be OK with me since he must have been OK with the Holy Spirit. :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.