My Thoughts On The New Pope

[editor]

I was wandering around the internet this morning in a partially drug-induced stupor caused by medication to treat some kind of strange infection I have that's filling up my lungs with goo possibly caused by a bug that I may have picked up while playing with a street monkey in Japan and I stumbled upon some guy's blog where he was talking about the new Pope. It wasn't an outright attack, but it was certainly a good dose of unwarranted skepticism. I added my comments to his blog and, maybe it's the drugs, I would share them here FWIW.

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The fact that the cardinals chose an older person to be Pope is significant, but not for the reasons you speculate. Choosing an older Pope means that the cardinals couldn't find someone amongst themselves who they thought could lead the church long-term. They wanted a "caretaker Pope" much like the United States has elected "caretaker Presidents" whose job is to fill the seat until someone better or more qualified comes along.

However, the fact that he's old does not necessarily mean that the new Pope is conservative. The instant media in the United States has been quick to label him a conservative without looking at his personal record. Most of the people in broadcast journalism are young and forget that the former Ratzinger was a major liberal force during Vatican II back in the 1960's. He was part of the push that modernized the Church and made it what it is today. Sure, a lot of people think the Roman Catholic Church is too conservative now, but these are people who forget that it was just a few decades ago that priests celebrated mass with their backs to the congregation. The Church is much more liberal now than it ever has been, due in great part to the efforts of Ratzinger back during the Vatican II reformation.

Still, what he did during his years of service to Pope John Paul II cannot be ignored. But it must be seen in context. His job was to be the defender of the faith. He got paid to be the ultra-conservative watchdog. That's what his office did. It stands in contrast to his previous teachings, and the characterizations we hear from people who actually know him and have met him. We shouldn't fault him for being conservative -- that was his job. Just like you can't fault the White House press secretary for defending the President -- that's his job. The job and the person aren't always the same thing, and that's something the instant media hasn't figured out yet. It might do us all some good to let the man be Pope for a little while and do a few things before we all start second-guessing him. Let's give him a chance before we condemn him. Let's find out if the conservatism was the man or the job.

What Reuters reported about TV networks renting apartments five years in advance is true. It's also not unusual. I know of both American newspapers and TV companies with no formal bureau in Rome that rented apartments 10 years ago "just in case." This is something the newspapers and radio have done forever, and it's only getting play now because TV is doing it, and it's fashionable to bash TV.

[pineda]

I agree, let's give Pope Benedict a chance before we condemn him. A lot of people have said that the last Pope went into the job being an ultra-conservative, but in dealing with people around the world for so many years, he softened in his stance and approach. He said that the job changed him, and I'm sure the same will happen here. I've often heard people say that the more well-travelled someone is, the less narrow-minded they become. I wish him well, and many years of service to the church.

p.s. I hope you feel better soon also, Editor! (Playing with monkeys, huh?)