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John Allen speaks on Benedict and Opus Dei
Spero News ^ | Monday, May 22, 2006 | Spero News

Posted on 05/22/2006 7:47:31 AM PDT by The Ghost of JG

Pope Benedict XVI is one of the “most prepared” popes in the last two or three centuries, but he’s “not sexy,” says veteran author and journalist John Allen in an interview in a Spanish newspaper.

“Culturally he (Benedict) is very prepared to be pope, perhaps the best so in the last two or three centuries. But from the journalistic point of view he’s not very ‘sexy’,” said Allen, according to the Spanish El Pais newspaper. “Without a doubt, John Paul II is the most ‘sexy’ of the modern popes. Whatever he said, it ended up on the front pages of the newspapers. Benedict XVI isn’t as charismatic.”

The interview was written on the occasion of Allen being in Madrid last Wednesday for the inauguration of his book on Opus Dei in Spanish, “Opus Dei: An objective look behind the myths and the reality of the most controversial force in the Catholic Church.”

Not surprisingly, the majority of the interview dealt with questions relating to Opus Dei, which according to Allen shouldn’t necessarily be qualified as a “conservative” group. “Inside the Church there are forces (organizations) that are much more right-wing, such as the traditionalists...”

(Excerpt) Read more at speroforum.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: benedict; catholic; davinci; jesuit; opusdei; pope

1 posted on 05/22/2006 7:47:36 AM PDT by The Ghost of JG
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To: The Ghost of JG

I don't know much about Opus Dei but the little I've learned is very interesting. Frankly I don't see what the big deal is with them. They appear to be practicing a lot of self sacrifice and living for God.


2 posted on 05/22/2006 7:53:35 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: cripplecreek

That would qualify them as extremists and subversives to the atheist left.


3 posted on 05/22/2006 8:08:20 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (When you believe in nothing, then everything is acceptable.)
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To: MarkBsnr

The left would classify them as extremists if they did everything out in public view and they think they're subversives because they practice their beliefs privately.

Pretty typical of liberal thinking. They disapprove no matter what others do.


4 posted on 05/22/2006 8:13:58 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: The Ghost of JG
His Holiness makes it a point not to produce "sound bytes" in his explanations of Christian theology, especially about the moral absolutes against abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, divorce. He is also very "sound-byte" free in his discussions about no women priests and other hot topics.

This frustrates th holy pie outta the media.
Kudos for der PanzerPapst!

5 posted on 05/22/2006 8:23:17 AM PDT by starfish923 (Socrates: It's never right to do wrong.)
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To: The Ghost of JG

I'm disgusted. John Allen, if you're reading this, go get an Unabridged Dictionary and learn some vocabulary.

The last thing the Catholic Church, or the world, needs is a "sexy" Pope. It's like imagining my father or John Wayne as "sexy." BLEAH!


6 posted on 05/22/2006 9:03:13 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Knights of Columbus martyrs of Mexico, pray for us! Viva Cristo Rey!)
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To: Tax-chick

Consider the source. NCR is very pro-homosexual (I don't mean that in a bad way)


7 posted on 05/22/2006 2:46:53 PM PDT by bornacatholic (Pope Paul VI. "Use of the old Ordo Missae is in no way left to the choice of priests or people.")
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To: cripplecreek

What the liberals are afraid of is that Opus Dei will because what the Jesuits used to be: an arm of the papacy. But the Jebbies have gone their own way since Teilhard.


8 posted on 05/22/2006 3:02:34 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: bornacatholic
LOL! The spread of sexual language and imagery into everyday writing really bugs me. When a writer describes a young woman as "ballsy," I just want to bludgeon them with the Unabridged and hide the remains in the trunk.
9 posted on 05/22/2006 3:58:06 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Knights of Columbus martyrs of Mexico, pray for us! Viva Cristo Rey!)
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To: Tax-chick
I'm disgusted. John Allen, if you're reading this, go get an Unabridged Dictionary and learn some vocabulary. The last thing the Catholic Church, or the world, needs is a "sexy" Pope. It's like imagining my father or John Wayne as "sexy." BLEAH!

No kidding! I avoid NCR like the plague. It's much better to replace reading John Allen with reading St. John the Apostle or St. John Chrysostom.

10 posted on 05/22/2006 4:32:31 PM PDT by FJ290
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To: FJ290
reading St. John the Apostle or St. John Chrysostom

Now those gents could really put words together!

11 posted on 05/22/2006 7:00:42 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Knights of Columbus martyrs of Mexico, pray for us! Viva Cristo Rey!)
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To: Tax-chick

Maybe it's cause I'm older than you and have seen more earlier John Wayne movies, but I can imagine him as sexy...

The pope though, I see like I saw my favorite professors when I was in college. I had several I truly respected, perhaps revered. I was often genuinely amused by them. I truly liked several of them, and enjoyed basking myself at the warmth of their knowledge and wisdom. Kindly souls interested in reaching out and sharing what they had to teach. And loving it.

And that is how I see our Panzer Papa. Soundbytes would not do him justice.


12 posted on 05/22/2006 7:25:51 PM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum (Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
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To: The Ghost of JG

Cool. The Jebbies created the black legend. The intrigue grows.


13 posted on 05/22/2006 8:16:48 PM PDT by LordBridey
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To: Knitting A Conundrum
John Wayne looked so much like my father that I couldn't ever see him as a romantic figure :-). But WOW, he could ride!

Kindly souls interested in reaching out and sharing what they had to teach. And loving it.

Professor Dumbledore! (j/k)

Seriously, you're right. Pope Benedict is a real teacher, and the Church needs that. People have such short attention spans!

14 posted on 05/23/2006 4:17:40 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Knights of Columbus martyrs of Mexico, pray for us! Viva Cristo Rey!)
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