Pope Benedict XVI
Religion April 19th, 2005 |I’ve been browsing articles about the new Pope off and on all day…have to say, I’m a bit disappointed. They seem to have picked the most staunchly conservative of the candidates.
Bits and pieces from CNN’s profile:
> The newly elected Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, was one of the most powerful men in the Vatican under Pope John Paul II, a strict enforcer of church doctrine who earned the nickname “Cardinal No.” > > […] > > Ratzinger became known as “Cardinal No” because of his drives to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests. > > […] > > Ratzinger has said modernity led to a blurring of sexual identity, causing some feminists to become adversaries of men. He labeled homosexuality “an intrinsic moral evil.” > > He argued that Muslim Turkey did not belong in Christian Europe and issued a document saying that Catholicism was the only true religion, questioning the validity of other religions, even Christian ones, even as his Pope John Paul II was trying to reach out to other faiths. > > […] > > He rejected a 1993 pastoral letter co-written by fellow German Cardinal Walter Kasper that encouraged divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to return to the sacraments.
Y’know, in the church I was brought up in, I was taught that we were supposed to be accepting of others different from us. That we were supposed to love all people equally. To do unto others as we would have done to us. That Jesus shunned the powerful and spent time with the weak, downtrodden, and humble masses.
Of course, I wasn’t brought up Catholic.
“Graveyard” by Webley, Jason from the album Springman Records Sampler (2003, 3:57).
[See also: Rev. Karen Dammann | A marriage made in heaven | Interpreting the Bible | Bush and religion | Playing catchup ]
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2 Responses to “Pope Benedict XVI”
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Pythoner
jan
spunkycomics
Michael Hanscom
Ryan Waddell
April 24th, 2005 at 2:54 am
Your comments are slightly erroneous. Pope Benedict holds all the same views as Pope John Paul II (and I don’t believe he would have said Catholicism is the only true religion - he would have meant it is the only religion containing the fullness of truth). Both he and John Paul have refused to bend to demands from liberals that the Church approve of homosexual acts, women priests, married priests, abortion, contraception etc etc. It is the Church’s Teachings which are opposed to such things. No Pope has authority to change these teachings - they are merely paid to uphold them, which John Paul did and Benedict no doubt faithfully will do.
I WAS brought up Catholic, and yes belief in all these teachings is not incompatible with accepting people, loving them unconditionally, the golden rule, and reaching out to the poor and needy.
It is the greatest love to point out when someone has fallen into sin and error, and to try to bring them back to God’s love, forgiveness and mercy. This is truly Christian love because it is concerned for the salvation of souls, which is what really matters in the end - we are to turn people towards repentance, otherwise as the Bible says, the Lord will hold us accountable for the loss of their immortal souls.
April 24th, 2005 at 6:22 am
Sadly enough many christians see this “Sin” as being all those things they do not agree with. Their “love” causes them to use their influence and/or legal power to take away basic rights for homosexuals, the right to end a life that is intolerable to keep living or just to difficult to start, the right to believe in a different way of “creation” or the right to have sex not just for the purpose of procreation but as a mere expression of love for each other. These are things the pope DOES have power over. He just has to instruct all christians to respect the believes and ideals of others and not hold everyone to the same ideals they themselves can’t even uphold. Something I can’t see this pope doing.