Joseph Ratzinger had a lock on the papacy like a shoe to Cinderella’s feet and the only one that were surprised about his ascendancy to the papacy were the ones who did not see the sign of the times, or just being blind to them. Well, a mouse trapped in the Galapagos Island would have been surprised as well.
The problem with Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, is not being a surprised choice among the electors, but more on his being a known hardliner in favor of a more traditional view on faith and religiosity and for being well-known for his staunch opposition for liberation theology and reformation within the catholic hierarchy.
Many had desired the next pope to test the limit of modernism and had earlier hopes for a looser attitude on issues like women being accepted finally as clergy members and on such other matters as contraception and gay marriages. With Cardinal Ratzinger on hand, they have to kiss their hopes to the wind.
The new pope is faced with the daunting challenge of defending the tradition of the Vatican as against the incessant calls for more liberalism and reform in the Church, and more recent events like the heated debates on gay marriages in North America as well as on abortion, euthanasia, and stem cell research, will keep Pope Benedict XVI up on his toes and busier than a rat.
At 78 years old, we all know that Pope Benedict’s term won’t be much longer than a decade but with the burning issues on faith brimming around the world today, his papacy may just be one of the most significant ever.
The problem with Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, is not being a surprised choice among the electors, but more on his being a known hardliner in favor of a more traditional view on faith and religiosity and for being well-known for his staunch opposition for liberation theology and reformation within the catholic hierarchy.
Many had desired the next pope to test the limit of modernism and had earlier hopes for a looser attitude on issues like women being accepted finally as clergy members and on such other matters as contraception and gay marriages. With Cardinal Ratzinger on hand, they have to kiss their hopes to the wind.
The new pope is faced with the daunting challenge of defending the tradition of the Vatican as against the incessant calls for more liberalism and reform in the Church, and more recent events like the heated debates on gay marriages in North America as well as on abortion, euthanasia, and stem cell research, will keep Pope Benedict XVI up on his toes and busier than a rat.
At 78 years old, we all know that Pope Benedict’s term won’t be much longer than a decade but with the burning issues on faith brimming around the world today, his papacy may just be one of the most significant ever.
Joseph Ratzinger is pope in these most crucial times.
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