Posted on 04/13/2007 6:54:57 AM PDT by Frank Sheed
Two years into his reign, Pope Benedict XVI is finally poised to make a major mark on American Catholicism with a string of key bishop appointments and important decisions about the future of U.S. seminaries and bishops' involvement in politics.
Benedict's election on April 19, 2005, shook liberals and comforted conservatives who expected a doctrinal hard-liner. So far, they have found an easier hand - and someone who has not made the United States much of a priority.
When Benedict has gained attention, it has mostly been on the world stage, focusing on the re-Christianization of Europe, Islam and mending relations with Orthodox Christians. He also has stressed universal themes of faith and reason.
``The last two years have been much quieter years as far as the papacy is concerned because you have a very different personality'' than John Paul II, said Monsignor Robert Wister, chairman of the church history department at Seton Hall University's School of Theology.
``Many Americans were surprised - some happily, some disappointed - that he did not turn into the pit bull of dogma. He is taking a very pastoral approach, and I think people resonate very positively with that.''
Yet America's turn may be coming. At the top of the list is a looming generational shift among the nation's bishops, whose decisions at the local level greatly affect Catholics in the pews and can carry national weight. For instance, church leaders recently closed parishes in Boston and New York, while the St. Louis archbishop has clashed with a heavily Polish parish over control of its assets.
Key appointments are expected in New York, Baltimore and Detroit, where cardinals have reached retirement age - 75. And retirements or appointments are likely in at least seven other archdioceses...
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Thank you. I’m not abnormally paranoid, just the regular amount.
I used to play this game a little bit on the original thread a few years ago. I am in the doldrums today and thought I would pay a visit here to see if the game continues.
Things slow down periodically as peoples work and social schedules shift around. I'm in the process of moving, having network trouble, ect... But I always find my way back here.
Yep, you never know when I'll show up to post and run. Like now, for instance. :-)
Hey tulip! Hope things are doing well in your world...
Hi DC! Other than the fact that I think my junk tripled like rabbits while it was packed in boxes for the move, things are going fine here.
How are things with you?
As a representative of the realm of pure fantasy I have to state that he hasn't touched all the bases yet.
Last year we moved to a new house after having lived in one place for 17 years. We found things still packed in boxes from moving days some 25 years earlier. And no we haven’t thrown the stuff out yet.
There’s a certain amount of useful paranoia. For example, if my 3-year-old is out of sight and I don’t hear any explosions for a while, I can be pretty sure something really bad is happening.
I normally don’t throw out much, but I had to get rid of some of my stuff for storage purposes. I figure that there isn’t a point keeping things like overhead projector slides from a course I taught 4 years ago. :-)
Been doing some multiplying of my own. First with my second offspring being born, now with packing up our entire domicile by myself. Zon, Ana, and Peter have all been up in MN since last Wednesday.
I had no idea we had so much junk... I filled up my garbage can and had to start stacking boxes next to it. The pick up guys are gonna hate me tomorrow. ;-)
Four years is our longest stay anywhere. I usually get the Urge to Purge after two years and give large amounts of stuff away.
Yeah, but he’s working on it...
Headin’ fer’ home. Catch y’all later...
My husband kept a lot of old engineering-school Stuff for a while, but I finally persuaded him to dump it.
Engineering is a lot like taxes, in that, by the time the printed materials reach the public, they’re already out of date.
Speaking of fantasy, I’m thinking of getting out your book and a sack of semicolons for my Activity this evening. Your technology and social development is so advanced ... and yet you comma-splice ...
Good evening! I went out to run, and then things got busy.
Four left at home would include three teenage boys, so I can see our having a bigger house! Don’t know about the health insurance, though.
I think it’s because we’re getting ready to move to a new thread...it’s usually slow this time of the month...;o]
I know how that goes! A couple of semesters ago, shortly before my class went over a section in the textbook, a court handed down a ruling that changed a chunk of the chapter. I have to make sure I keep up with what's going on in the world.
And now I have to step away from the computer again and try to put more things away. Unfortunately, I seem to make an even bigger mess by the time I'm finished!
If you'd have packed the stuff in tubs, there would have been no breeding room. ("No breathing room," get it?)
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.