When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in April 2005, all the world rejoiced — or recoiled — with the certain knowledge that the cardinals had settled on the one man who would be more conservative than John Paul II.
For those who weren’t so enthused about the Holy Spirit’s selection, there was grim consolation in the fact that Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, was 78 years old and was himself predicting a brief papacy that would serve as a transition to whatever came next.
Some transition. In less than five years Benedict has shown himself to be quietly yet deliberately engaged in reshaping Catholicism. Even more surprising are the remarkably liberal means he has used to achieve his ends — means that could lead to places the pontiff may not intend to go.
A case in point is last week’s stunning announcement (it took even the leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, by surprise) that the pope is creating a novel “church within a church” so that Anglicans can join with Catholics without giving up their rites and traditions.
This really is an odd piece — the author does not appear to get the basic point of Benedict’s offer — that this will be an accomodation to the Anglo-Catholics, and that we should expect it to be taken up only by those who are largely already in agreement with the doctrine of the RCC. There is an accomodation on married priests, but that is essentially the same one offered to individuals for decades. There will be liturgical provisions, but I have not seen any sense that there will be any room for those who can’t accept current RCC doctrine on (among others) transubstantiation, papal authority, as well as WO, for example. I would not expect, and we should not expect, the Pope’s proposal to have much appeal for other wings of the Anglican tradition that have problems with the current situation (such as many evangelicals).
The author appears to have reduced this to a question of women priests and sexual ethics — it is in fact about much much more.
The substantive errors in this piece are numerous. The man is clearly under the illusion that he can say something and that makes it true.
[Abusive comment deleted by Elf]
This article–like so many others in the media on this topic, betrays a tyoical liberal media prejudice:: that being true to genuine core Tradition and Doctrine makes one rigid and ossified. That only those who are liberal can be dynamic and creative. Yet that is the secret (or not-so-secret) strength of Catholic orthodoxy–its adaptability in the service of Revealed Truth, but without compromise of core Doctrines.
Catholics believe that this seemingly impossible balancing act is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Keys given to St. Peter and passed on across the ages in His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
s Pope Benedict a closet liberal?
Certainly not. But neither is he a hidebound traditionalist. He has a sharp, scholarly mind and the confidence to reassess tradition when he believes it needs reassessment.
In any event, for reasons I’ve [url=http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/24853#404183]previously noted[/url], I suspect the pope saw occasion here for relatively modest reassessment.