Ratzinger, er, I mean, Pope Benedict XVI

April 19, 2005 · Filed Under Uncategorized 

Well, I have to say I was surprised with today’s developments. I really wasn’t expecting the election of the Pope until the end of the week. I also hadn’t expected that Ratzinger would win. He seemed more of a Pope-Maker than a Pope. My hope was that the Cardinal of Vienna would be elected. I thought it more likely that a moderate-to-conservative Latin American Pope would be elected who would speak for the developing world and maybe bring the liberal and conservative sides closer together.

Ratzinger is extremely unpopular here in Germany. Rainer tells me that when he left for the Vatican, the citizens of Munich celebrated. Rainer is predicting that the small group of practising German Catholics will now run screaming from the Church. Rainer also jokes that Ratzinger probably blackmailed his way to the Papacy.

I think the Vatican’s refusal to sanction the use of condoms is genocide. I think the Church is in large part responsible for the rampant spread of AIDS in the Third World. Ratzinger is extremely conservative, more so than Pope John Paul II, meaning it is unlikely that he will change this stance. Let’s hope that some of his fundamentalism was due to his role as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. We will see what the future has in store.

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One Response to “Ratzinger, er, I mean, Pope Benedict XVI”

  1. Anonymous on April 21st, 2005 4:32 am

    (It’s Rachael.) Unforunately, as much as Americans want a more liberal pope, I don’t think this will EVER happen. I see the job of the Pope to maintain and interpret Catholic doctrine. As much as I’d like him to let women have a different role in the church, to recongnize condoms as something to prevent AIDs, etc., its not really the Pope’s job to do anything but maintain the laws (hardline as they might be) of the church. I don’t feel that it is his place to do anything else… as much as I personally want him to do so. I am not sure if I am explaining this well at all.. but looking at this as his role, it is clear why Ratzinger was selected. Me personally?! I want a liberal female pope! Ha! Or if I must pick a man, a Latin American (since 40% of catholics are there) pope or African pope would be great. Unforunately, like other offices, I don’t think we’re going to see a black man in the role — now, THAT would be progess…

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