CARDINAL RATZINGER: SHORT PROFILE

BBC ^ | 4/19/05 | Caroline Frost

[Dallas59]

CARDINAL RATZINGER: PROFILE

To some, he is the Catholic Church's intellectual salvation during a time of confusion and compromise. To others, he is an intimidating "Enforcer", punishing liberal thinkers, and keeping the Church in the Middle Ages. Certainly, in the world's largest Christian community the Pope's prefect of doctrine, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, cannot be overlooked.

Against dissent

While many theologians strive for a Catholic Church that is more open and in touch with the world around it, Ratzinger's mission is to stamp out dissent, and curb the "wild excesses" of this more tolerant era.

He wields the tools of his office with steely efficiency. By influencing diocese budgets, bishops' transfers and even excommunications, what an opponent calls "symbolic violence", Ratzinger has clamped down on the more radical contingent of the Church.

He has even claimed the prime position of the Church of Rome over other Christian Churches. Although he has apologised for this, he has never been so contrite about excluding liberation theologians, more progressive priests or those in favour of the ordination of women.

Charming

Personally charming, quick-witted and fluent in four languages, the Cardinal is a convincing orator. Jesuit Father Thomas Reese calls him "a delightful dialogue partner", but adds that most of the Cardinal's fellow clergy would be too worried about the prospect of excommunication to enjoy talking to him.

When Ratzinger served the Second Vatican Council for three years from 1962, he supported reform. His own background, however, perhaps sheds light on his need for a Church that stands firm against the currents of change and political shifts.

Schooled in the Nazis' power of rhetoric during his childhood in Bavaria, Ratzinger later deserted the German Army during World War II, only to be sent to a POW camp when the Allies reached his hometown.

Later, as an eminent theologian lecturing at Germany's premier faculties, he was horrified by the Marxist ideologies that punctuated campus small talk in the late 1960s.

"Papal fundamentalism"

Since then, Ratzinger has pursued doctrine that can endure, independent of cultural or social trends. He argues that only with a completely separate values system can the Church offer individual freedom. His critics call this "papal fundamentalism", but Ratzinger is unflappable in his personal theology.

The Cardinal claims that "everything falls apart without truth". Whether his noble aims justify his tactics is just one of the issues challenging the Catholic Church today.

[Protagoras]

Negative piece, but he was indeed a german soldier. He was forced into the Hitler youth and later deserted the regular army in spring 1944.

[SkyPilot]

And I imagine the next pope will be from Latin America - but one without previous involvemen in or condonement of Marxist social justice causes.

Well, I beleive that was the problem. The Cardinals wanted to pick a Pope from the 3rd World, but too many of them did have Marxist sympathies under the banner of "Social Justice." Maybe this will send a message to them.

[jmaroneps37]

Let's not be worried about the crap the leftist skunks are throwing at the Church in general or this Pope in particular. It will only serve to further clarify their position on things that are important in life. When that happens we win. To para phase a clothing store's tagline:
"An educated public is our best customer"! This is just more education.

[section9]

Read The Forgotten Soldier by Paul Sajer. It tells the story of an Alsatian who was dragooned into the Wehrmacht in the autumn of 1942 and ended up in the Panzergrendadierregiment Grossdeutschland. His unit was at Belgorad on the southern shoulder of the Kursk salient when operation Zitadelle began. Right next to the Grossdeutschland were battalions of Hitlerjugend who had been specially trained to infiltrate "Ivan's" positions.

The Belgorad offensive became a disaster after several days, of course, but it would be interesting to know Ratzinger's unit history in the Wehrmacht. At the close of the war, units in the West began to collapse as the Americans and the British approached. Germans understood that they could surrender to the Anglo-Americans. Units in the East stayed together under the most trying circumstances, as surrender meant death or Siberia.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Freebird Forever]

To others, he is an intimidating "Enforcer", punishing liberal thinkers

Sounds like the guy has a pair of brass ones. If things don't work out in Rome, perhaps W can offer him a job at Homeland Security.

[conserv13]

Joke about how conservative Ratzinger is:

Ratzinger and two theologians die and go two heaven. One by one they go in and meet with God. The first theologian goes in and comes out crying, "How could I have been so wrong about everything?!?!"

Then the second theologian goes in, and comes out crying too, "How could I have been so wrong about everything?!?!".

Then Ratzinger goes in, they're in there for a while, then God comes out crying, "How could I have been so wrong about everything?!?!"

[AbeKrieger]

Hopefully he brings the heat on the baby-killer abortionists, sick priests who have sex with children, deviant gay marriage, and all those "progressive" causes that popular culture wants to pollute our society with.

May he live a long and productive life. And may he be outspoken in his opposition to the above deviance.

[ZULU]

From an article in the Kiplinger Report:

"On Monday, Ratzinger, who was the powerful dean of the College of Cardinals, used his homily at the Mass dedicated to electing the next pope to warn the faithful about tendencies that he considered dangers to the faith: sects, ideologies like Marxism, liberalism, atheism, agnosticism and relativism - the ideology that there are no absolute truths."

Who can argue about that???

[ex-snook]

Jesus founded His Church on Peter the Rock not Peter the poll taker.

[ELS]

bumping for later reading

[Veto!]

He was born in 1927. WWII ended when he was 18. How could he have served in the German army?

Quite easily. Toward the end of the war, German troops were either dead or deployed all over the place. Hitler called up old men and young boys, some as young as 12, to defend the "glorious fatherland."

[NCC-1701]

"...Jesus founded His Church on Peter the Rock not Peter the poll taker...."

Damned straight! Excellent point. God bless Pope Benedict XVI.

[TheGunny]

I am a recovering catholic myself, but already love this guy! I also loved JP2.

[concrete is my business]

CTV in Canada ran the BBC report immediately after the announcement of the new pope.

Canadians will be seeing it many, many times.

[angelanddevil2]

"What a smear job. He was born in 1927. WWII ended when he was 18. How could he have served in the German army?"

At the end of the war, germans were recruiting 14 year olds.

[metfan]

Cardinal Ratzinger who is now the pope, talks like a conservative but if anything he is more loberal, (if that is possible), than John Paul was.

[ZULU]

How so?