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by Fred C. Wilson III
March 16, 2013
“And I tell you thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it!”
-Matthew 16:18-
There’s something in a name. The previous popes Benedict inherited a Church fraught with sexual scandals, corruption, and general lassitude among the laity. Benedict XII (1334-1342) an Avignon pope was a reformer and noted scholar. Despite his efforts this pontiff failed to curb luxurious lifestyles among the clergy. His bull Benedictus Deus on the Beatific Vision said even after death our souls remain conscious; human consciousness is eternal.
Namesake Benedict XIII (1724-1730) sensing the inherent dangers of smoking tried to enforce a global ban to curb the addiction. He failed. This pope tackled clergy sex abuses among Italian priests and cardinals. He handled a banking scandal that devastated the Papal treasury; sounds familiar?
Pope Benedict XIV (1675-1758) stopped world governments from snatching the papal prerogative of selecting bishops. Had governments succeeded the Church would have been eventually destroyed after being fragmented into a collection of national churches separate from Rome.
Civil lawyer turned priest Benedict XV (1914-1922) tried in vain to prevent World War I. He decried the war as Western civilization’s suicide. He was ignored. He promoted humanitarian endowers during the conflict. Benedict canonized Joan of Arc, criticized Catholics for not reading the Bible, and influenced virulently anti-Catholic American President Woodrow Wilson’s famous 14 Points at the war’s conclusion.
When Joseph Ratzinger was five years old he went on a school field trip. His class was part of a group that welcomed the Cardinal Archbishop of Munich. During the cardinal’s visit the boy was awed by the man’s distinctive red garb. When little Joseph got home he told his family he wanted to be a cardinal when he grew up. GOD heard his prayer. A few years later after a stint in the German Army as a child soldier with subsequent desertion, he got more than he prayed for; he became pope.
Faced with the usual crises, wars, in house revolts, power plays and the other job related problems, Benedict’s papacy was a hard go. His recent retirement left a huge hole in the fabric of Christianity in general Catholicism in particular. There are many reasons why Benedict resigned. Some pundits say because of a secret pro-gay cabal that alleged seized control of the Vatican drove him from office. Many media types say it might have been the on going clergy child sex abuse scandals and related factors that led to his resignation. Others speculate he quit because of the usual infirmities associated with old age; 85 years old putting in 18 hour days slows a body down considerably. This writer opines there are many contributing factors behind Benedict’s resignation most of which we will never know. Only GOD and Benedict know for sure but they ain’t tellin.’
Despite his short reign Benedict XVI did well for himself. The ex-pope is a prolific writer, an excellent teacher, and a brilliant theologian. I have no doubt he’ll be named a doctor of the Church on par with Saints Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, the two Teresa’s, Bernard, Jerome and other religious literati. During his reign Benedict fostered ecumenical relations with other religions and fought liturgical abuses which have plagued the Church since Vatican II.
Many are wondering who will be the new pontiff and what direction he’ll take the Church. I asked several people who they think best suited for the job and their expectations:
“I would like the new pope to model himself like the Borgia’s. (laughing) No seriously the new pope should be progressive and deal forthrightly with the problems confronting the Church. The Church has a large Third world flock. The flock must have a voice. As always, sex is a big issue. Whether it’s same-sex marriages, the abuse of children by the clergy, the sex issues must be handled with a view towards healing, resolution and closure. Not to be left out is where the new Pope will stand on issues of social injustice and the slaughter that occur world wide. Too many missionaries are caught in the thick of the carnage with no back-up from Rome. As I write this response the ‘talking heads’ are asking the same questions. The best answer; ‘Trust in the Holy Sprit.’ We shall see.”
Michael X.W. (Chicago, IL)
“He should be a holy man, well educated and versed in several languages. He should be courageous in defending the truth of our Faith and morals that come under attack in the secular world but not worry about public opinion. He should be zealous in spreading the Faith and should have had some experience in the mission field. He should not fear to call out our political leaders, especially Catholic ones, when they are proposing programs and ideas contrary to Catholic moral teachings. He should be willing to use, if necessary, the discipline of excommunication against Catholic leaders’ religious and secular who are undermining the Catholic Faith. He should come from an area of the world, where the Catholic Faith is actually growing and getting stronger. He should know a good deal about Islam and the threat of radical Islam to the Church and the world.”
Fr. John Calgaro, OFM. Conv. (Austin, TX.)
“I think the new pope should be a much younger man. He should have a command of English since it is the global language. I don’t consider myself a racist but I am of the opinion that African Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana) should become pope. I think his election would give the papacy an international flavor much more than what we’ve been getting through the centuries. I think a Black or other third world pope would be good for the modern Church.”
Maria W. (Chicago, IL)
“I prefer the new Holy Father to be a hands-on pope. I want him to be involved with people much in the manner of John Paul II. It would be fun seeing the new pope interacting with young people. Our youth are our hope. We need to see religious leaders like the pope interacting with them.”
Cristina D. (Batavia, IL)
Priority one should be to clean house (Think: Innocent III.). The clergy sex abuse scandal with attendant ecclesiastical cover ups tops the list. If the new pontiff has to clear out chanceries country-by-country-GOOD! Priority two should be to restore the sacrificial quality of the Mass. ‘Liturgists’ have made the Mass bland, boring, overly long, and devoid of most of the mystical elements that drew people to Catholicism in droves before Vatican Council II. The outward loss of the sacred quality of the Mass is a prime factor why our churches are empty though turning back the liturgical clock would be counterproductive. The new pope must address the issue of liturgical reform like his pre-predecessor.
Reader I postponed my regularly scheduled article ‘Is it real?’ to write this papal extra. In the previous edition the title ‘Memento Mori’ was misspelled; my apologies. GOD bless you! vamaxwell@yahoo.com