Posted on 04/19/2005 5:13:20 PM PDT by Alex Marko
BOSTON (Reuters) - Liberal U.S. Catholics on Tuesday expressed dismay at the choice of a conservative new pope and doubted he will heal an institution racked by disillusionment and tarnished by a sex abuse scandal among the clergy.
The election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI rankled those who advocate married priests, a bigger role for women within the church and softening its policy on homosexuality, birth control, euthanasia and abortion.
Since taking over the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as the Roman Catholic Church's chief ideologue, Ratzinger has denounced homosexuality and even branded other Christian churches as deficient.
"Gay and lesbian Catholics are going to be very hurt by this election because Cardinal Ratzinger was the lightning rod for so much of the anger they felt under the previous pope," said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the New Ways Ministry, a national ministry for lesbian and gay Catholics.
Under the Pope John Paul II, American Catholics' attendance at weekly Mass declined as many were put off by what they saw as increasingly conservative Vatican doctrine.
The sense of alienation deepened with a well-publicized scandal over pedophile priests, which erupted in 2002 in the Archdiocese of Boston as court documents showed bishops shuttled pedophile priests from parish to parish.
Victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy reacted skeptically to word that Ratzinger was the new pope.
"Ratzinger is a polarizing figure to many, who seems to prefer combativeness to compromise and compassion," Mary Grant of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said in a statement. "It's ... crucial that the new pope follow the words and views of John Paul II who said 'there is no place in the priesthood for anyone who would harm the young."'
MORE OF THE SAME
Catholics for a Free Choice, a progressive group based in Washington, laid out an action plan for the new pontiff to pursue in his first 100 days with the goal of healing fractures within the church.
It urged the new pope to appoint a commission to review church policy on condoms, to establish a pontifical academy on women's rights in the church, and to welcome back those marginalized over the last quarter-century -- including gays and lesbians.
But those familiar with Ratzinger said to expect more of the same, and they doubted he would tailor his views to adapt to the liberal forces evident in the U.S. church.
"This is the guy who's been in charge of stifling dissent in the church," said lawyer Carmen Durso, who represented dozens of plaintiffs in clergy abuse lawsuits against the Boston archdiocese.
"This says to me that the Vatican ... is not prepared to move into the 21st Century, which it desperately needs to do," said Durso, who was raised Catholic but no longer practices.
Christine Schenk, a nun from Cleveland, Ohio, who favors opening the priesthood to married men, said she was disappointed and puzzled by Ratzinger's selection, but she saw glimmers of hope.
Schenk explained that Ratzinger had never ruled out the idea of married priests, and that the church is facing a deepening shortage of priests -- so he may be forced to act.
In a 2004 document, Ratzinger denounced "radical feminism" as undermining the family and natural differences between men and women.
Asked if there was anything in his background that gave her hope that Ratzinger would build a stronger partnership with women in the church, Quinn said: "We always hope for miracles".
I am not catholic, but yesterday, I had to put my catholic in laws in place about the pope. They were whining that the church would not change now. I told them that's good, it isn't suppose to morph to suit the people's needs, it is to be the solid foundation that doesn't shift to suit day to day needs, if it did, it would surely crumble. They were complaining about birth control and how you can't even use a condom when having sex with a person with aids. I had to break the news to them that the majority of AIDS people were gay and they are falling under many bigger sins that that. Of course there was no response. The kicker is that they don't even go to church, never pray before meals, even the big holiday ones and lied about why they couldn't come to their granddaughter's baptism in February. I am presbyterian and have been thinking about switching to catholicism.
Matter of fact I think that some have been excommunicated from the Church
Actually none of "them" have been excommunmicated because CFC has no membership--there's none of "them" to excommunicate, unless you mean Frances Kiessling who probably is latae sententiae excommunicate anyway because she's probably at least assisted in procuring abortions. CFC is a "letterhead" organization, funded by the big foundations, that churns out press releases and represents no one. MSM journalist are too dumb to figure that out--because its press releases represent their own views.
"There is a church for liberal freaks Its called the Unitarian church"
What happens when you cross a Unitarian and a Mormon?
He wanders around for two years talking about nothing in particular.
Actually it went on and goes on just as much, if not more among Episcopalians. That you make such a boast only shows how little you know. The "lavender Mafia" is very strong in the Episcopal Church. Some of the criminal queers were married, namely, Vickie Gene Robinson. So don't give me this "we have wives" stuff.
BTW, "altar" is the correct spelling and most of the victims are not altar "boys" but adolescents--that's true of the Catholic as well as the Episcopalian cases. It's sad all the way around and it stems directly from bishops, both Episcopalian and Catholic, refusing to consider sexual sins as really serious matters requiring swift and decisive discipline.
SS: I agree with every point you have made. However, it is easy to see why liberals think that all things should be changed to reflect their wants and wishes. All we have to do is look at how the US Constitution has been bastardized by liberals over these many years. Liberal Catholics simply want to have the basic tenets of the church relaxed to meet their needs - just like what has happened - and continues to happen - to our Constitution!
Aha! You see they could care less about the Church. They just figure if the Church approves of homosexuality, that will make it more normal in society as a whole. That's all they care about.
Correction, I did not mean to imply that Robinson committed any crimes of sexual abuse. He was a married homosexual. Marriage doesn't solve the problem, was my point.
OUT-frickin'-STANDING tagline!!
Maybe, maybe not.
He will certainly not impede Bishops who have a solid case for removing a priest.
But R. also reminded USBishops that their "one-strike/out" policy was a violation of Canon Law--that is, one simply does not toss a priest out of his job without a fair trial (yes, the Church has fair trials--)
It's possible that Benedict XVI could write a bull re-affirming the Church's position that ordaining homosexuals is verboten; otherwise, there's not much he can do.
While I agree with you that a restoration of the Liturgy is in order, I cannot agree that such a restoration will, in and of itself, "fill the pews."
The West's wealth works to bring about the diseases of which R. spoke in his sermon before the Conclave began--and that's not going to be fixed with a few Latin words here and there.
OTOH, B16 is also VERY sensitive to the concepts of "sacred time, sacred language, sacred space" as it pertains to liturgy.
Pray about your decision and God bless you, whatever your decision may be!
You already sound like you have a much better understanding of Catholic teaching than your so-called "Catholic" in-laws!
I'm continually amazed by the argument that the Catholic Church's stance on condoms is contributing to the spread of AIDS. The people who want to be able to have sex in abnormal ways or sleep with whomever they want are NOT dissuaded from their behaviors by Catholic teaching but they ARE dissuaded from using a condom while engaging in this behavior? I think NOT!
John Paul II did, as I understand it, address the issue of homosexuality by stating that "being" homosexual was not a problem within the church, "practicing" homosexuality is. The solution: practice celibacy
Expect a lesson in Latin, bro.
Mort Kondracke is anti-Catholic. He's usually pretty good at disguising it, but if you listen to his commentary, he often deliberately distorts Catholic teaching to skewer the Church.
Too bad.
He actually thinks the Novus Ordo in the vernacular is a good thing.
A quick survey of Manhattan wine-and-brie party patrons, plus a VERY healthy dose of "projection," which is a psychiatric disorder.
Ratzinger did not GUESS during the interview.
He relied on information provided by Bishops in the US--such as the Ordinary of Fort Worth, or Milwaukee, or Boston, or LA.
The media did the Church, and the victims of clerical sexual abuse, a great service.
Did you see the thread yesterday where Dolan has suspended the draconian regulations and is ashamed that he didn't talk to the Priests' Council before he sent them out?
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