Posted on 02/12/2013 5:37:03 PM PST by D-fendr
After John Paul II’s death, Benedict emerged as the indispensable man, without the least bit of angling for that role. He didn’t seek the papacy; it simply fell upon him. He had hoped the college of cardinals would select someone else. But his acute intellect, grasp of the Church’s crisis, and closeness to John Paul II made him the obvious choice.
Given this background, his resignation appears more understandable. He entered the papacy humbly and now leaves it humbly. His resignation is a great loss for the Church and the world. He represented the unity of reason and faith at a moment when the world was fast losing both. Between the West’s culture of abortion and the East’s culture of jihad, he stood as the civilizational center for life.
The media verdicts so far on his supposedly inconsequential and failed pontificate have been useless, reflecting nothing more than the progressive prejudices of reporters and pundits. Long after their spiteful articles have yellowed, his encyclicals will be read. The truth is that they didn’t like him from the start, treating the elevation of a believing Catholic to the papacy as somehow “controversial.” Bill Keller, the former executive editor of the New York Times, once blurted out that “the struggle within the church is interesting as part of a larger struggle within the human race, between the forces of tolerance and absolutism.” That is the only prism through which the media ever saw Benedict: he fell on the wrong side of the progressive “struggle” and so became a target for endless media bias.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
>>BBC, CNN etc. call Benedict’s term as “a failure” — until one realizes that this was because he was firmly against and reversed all leftist moves”
Yep, he’s Catholic. :)
As Neumayr puts it:
“The media verdicts so far on his supposedly inconsequential and failed pontificate have been useless, reflecting nothing more than the progressive prejudices of reporters and pundits. Long after their spiteful articles have yellowed, his encyclicals will be read. The truth is that they didn’t like him from the start, treating the elevation of a believing Catholic to the papacy as somehow “controversial.”
His farewell message was so humble and touching. A reminder to me that Christians are called to a Christ like humility. If we know how great our God is, we are humble.
And what any of us think about the Pope’s decision doesn’t matter, it is God’s will, and I am no one to question that.
Thank the Lord for making things happen. BXVI was indeed one of the most accomplished popes ever.
I will forever call him, “Pope Emerritus” or Pope Retired.
Very helpful as another Lent begins.
Yes, and his abdication reverses another: the enemy won't get insinuating senility at his every word and deed. Provided we get a young and conservative pope, -- and His Holiness raised a good deal of cardinals, -- the left will be dealt another blow.
The media and the left’s hope will be dashed when the next pope turns out to be a believing Catholic. I believe they actually think it could be otherwise.
So well put, thank you.
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