Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Posted on 09/05/2003 6:16:56 PM PDT by NYer
Irondale, AL (EWTN) – EWTN Global Catholic Network will air an exclusive interview conducted by EWTNews Director, Raymond Arroyo, in Rome with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as part of the international newsmagazine The World Over Live. The complete interview will air on Friday, September 5 at 8 PM EDT.
Cardinal Ratzinger, often referred to as the Vatican's doctrinal watchman, is responsible for protecting Catholic doctrine and exposing heresy. He is considered the single most powerful man in the Vatican aside from Pope John Paul II. A notoriously private man, the cardinal rarely grants interviews or takes questions from the media. In this historic session with Raymond Arroyo, Cardinal Ratzinger, whose primary language is German, consented to the request that the interview be conducted in the English language.
The cardinal answered far-ranging questions posed by Arroyo on current Church issues, including the root causes of the sexual abuse crisis in the United States, his estimation of the Church's future, his diagnosis of the problem with the Bishops' Conference, his views on efforts to convert the Jewish people, and a comment on his possible retirement. On the latter, Cardinal Ratzinger said, "Yes, I had the desire to retire in 1991, 1996, 2001 because I had the idea I could write some books and return to my studies as Cardinal Martini did…but, on the other hand, seeing the suffering Pope, I cannot say to the Pope, 'I will retire, I will write my books'…I have to continue."
When asked by Arroyo what he identifies as the root cause of the current sexual abuse crisis, Cardinal Ratzinger said, "The general element is a weakness of human beings, even of priests…temptations are present also for the priests…I think the essential point is a weakness of faith…So, two things are essential. Conversion to a profound and deep faith with a life of prayer and sacraments and clear moral teaching and connection of the teaching that the Church has the Holy Spirit and can give us the way."
Directing the discussion to the much-discussed topic of the role of bishops with regard to the crisis, Arroyo asked, "The Bishops' Conference has largely taken the lead, the National Conference, in trying to heal and put an end to this crisis. Because there is such a lack of confidence, if you will today, among the faithful in their episcopacy, do you believe the Bishops' Conference to be the best instrument of that healing at this point?" Cardinal Ratzinger replied, "Coordination between the bishops is certainly necessary because the United States is a great continent. From the outset it is clear that the personal responsibility of the bishop is fundamental for the Church, and perhaps the anonymity of the Bishops' Conferences can be a danger for the Church. Nobody is personally, immediately responsible. It was always the Conference and you do not know where or who is the conference."
Bringing up another controversial subject currently in the news, Arroyo posed, "You've discussed often the nature of sexuality and that it finds its home in the context of marriage. This today is a very contested notion and a very contested teaching. How does the Church bring that message into a culture where we now have homosexual marriages being legalized, in vitro fertilization and technologies of reproduction outside of the marital act? How do you bring this teaching to the culture?" Cardinal Ratzinger answered, "It is always essential that the nature of a human being is a given, and we understand that men and women were created one for the other…So I think even if our culture is against marriage as an essential form of relations between women and men, I think our nature is always present and we can understand it if we will to understand it. I hope it is possible in a sincere and open dialogue with the people to understand even today that our nature is this: man and woman are created one for the other."
In recent days, Cardinal Ratzinger has taken on greater responsibilities, personally overseeing the investigation of all sexual abuse claims and deciding the fate of accused clergy.
EWTN Global Catholic Network is available in more than 84 million television households in 110 countries. And with its worldwide short-wave radio station, satellite delivered AM & FM radio network, Internet website www.ewtn.com and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.
I thought Raymond Arroyo really hit all the key subjects that we rehash on FR - he must have listened to his audience and took their suggestions.
What really hit me was how knowledgable Cardinal Ratzinger was regarding the "crisis of Faith" in the world and specifically, in the USA. I guess from the silence by the US bishops surrounding the subject, I assumed either Rome wasn't aware of the full story or that Ratzinger would also shy away from discussing it. He didn't.
Ratzinger also expressed some concerns regarding the USCCB - sort of like we do although he stopped short of saying it should be dismantled.
Shied away from the homosexual problem in the priesthood - in fact, called it pedophelia as does the mainstream media. I was disappointed in that.
Great job by Raymond Arroyo and I suspect each and every bishop in the USA watched this show although most of them probably dislike (are jealous of) EWTN - musta killed guys like Mahony. Good for Mother Angelica - one nun and $200 bucks goes a long way!
I kind of doubt it. I suspect the ones you mentioned rather dislike the good Cardinal.
From the outset it is clear that the personal responsibility of the bishop is fundamental for the Church, and perhaps the anonymity of the Bishops' Conferences can be a danger for the Church.
The interview was nice to see but I had a hard time following it due to his accent. I hope in appears in transcribed form soon. Very good questions and answers.
They must be in denial. How can they not know? Naturally he wouldn't want to talk about it publicly. Not pc.
In recent days, Cardinal Ratzinger has taken on greater responsibilities, personally overseeing the investigation of all sexual abuse claims and deciding the fate of accused clergy.What role does he have? Has the Holy Office itself assumed different responsibilities or just the Cardinal?
Same here - and yes, very good questions and it seemed like very good answers from what I could understand - I also have nine teenaged girls in my house tonight, so I was kind of distracted!
No, it wasn't that he doesn't know - he clearly does and he did talk about it somewhat - wheat and chafe analogy and also the weakness of mankind and a lack of real Faith in Jesus. He said that some have a mental picture and image of Jesus but he is not their best friend. He also cited the fact that in the last 40 or 50 years sin is increasingly not a sin and anything goes.
It was just that he used the word "pedophile" instead of "homosexuality" or "homosexual" and you know he knows the difference - he's way, way smarter than I am! Although there is that language barrier to a degree. But still.
Me too!! Double DUH!!
... and the divine intervention of an angel who directed the proper placement of the satellite dish.
With all due respect to the Cardinal, this might have been the place to point out that conversion should be a life-long journey for all of us -- best begun before ordination.
But that's OK. None of the bishops have been able to duplicate the success she has had - and her success flies in the face of common wisdom. All with $200 bucks and in a garage! And the "good" bishops appear on her show happily. They know what is successful and how we are starving out here.
But you know the ones who hate EWTN sometimes secretly watch EWTN... otherwise, how would they know what it was all about and how could they hate it (and Mother Angelica)?
It's like me attending the "parish retreat" we had last year... dissenting priest and nun ran it. They were the proud authors of a book on enneagrams and they taught centering prayer (to people who don't even know how to say a rosary!) and used inclusive language. I knew all this and I went anyway... it is good to know how the enemy works.
Wasn't it in the context of "do you think it would be a good idea" and also Arroyo asked about a restoration of some Latin in the Novus Ordo (also posed as a question in the "good idea" vein). Ratzinger replied that both "would be helpful" but said that the Mass should be in the vernacular with some Latin to make the Mass the same in all parts of the world. Unless I misunderstood? Like I said, whole lot of noise in my house and that accent you could cut with a knife!
I think the answer was that the ecclesia dei (sp) needed to be interpreted and implemented properly but also in obedience to the bishop. Same old, same old.
All in all, it was a good interview, but no bombshells or anything.
It did remind me that we are all one in Christ, though. Rome doesn't seem so out of touch or far off - despite what my parish priest says.
I just heard that this week on a repeat of "The Journey Home" - an amazing story.
I would be too! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)
Ratzinger was very hard to follow, and I gave up after about 15 minutes.
I did, however, catch the Fulton Sheen re-run afterwards, and he gave a stirring re-creation of Abraham Lincoln as "the Savior of America."
Sheen had quite the awareness of the dramatic, and knew how to blend words and presence.
I'm going to watch this more often.
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