Politics or the Spirit?

A Time magazine article suggests strongly that the election of Ratzinger as Pope was much more the work of a savvy political machine than the Holy Spirit.

The liberals were simply out-organized by the Curia. "The ease of Ratzinger's victory was proof of just how compact and well prepared the Roman nucleus was," a Cardinal elector told TIME.

The NY Times reported that Ratzinger's brother talks about Josef's wanting to be a cardinal when he was six years old. I suppose there are many types of kids.

Still, it's all somewhat unnerving.

Is there a priest shortage?

All statistics seem to point to "yes." There are many churches in the US without a resident priest. Those parishes are being administered for the most part by lay people. Our diocese in NJ says there is no shortage of priests here, at least at the present time. One of our readers has commented that there are traditional seminaries which are filled to overflowing with priest candidates.

Is it enough to be satisfied that your own diocese is not having a priest crisis without worrying about those who do? What about the contention that, if we return to more traditional Catholicism, we will attract larger numbers of men who are interested in a more orthodox church? Where have these people been up until now? Are we to believe that they've stayed away because the Catholic Church is too liberal?

Enter Benedict

So here we are with a new Pope and an opportunity. Those who are progressive may bemoan the fact that Ratzinger was elected, but we must bloom where we are planted, and I think we may be on very fertile soil.

We can take this opportunity to respond, in a definite way, to what Benedict stands for. If we agree, we should actively give him our support. If we disagree, we should make that known. What we shouldn't do is nothing.

Many have found their own ways to be Catholic. We have a small faith community at Loyola Retreat House that meets for Eucharist every first and third Sunday of the month at 5pm. Priests preside. It is a lovely experience where we can pray with like-minded Catholics and share our thoughts during the homily.

There are so many other options which we haven't begun to explore. Yes, this is a place where we can vent, but we can also post our ideas about how to proceed.

Secrets, Secrets, Secrets

Every time I read something about the Papal Conclave, the word "secret" is mentioned. It's almost as if we can't talk about it without acknowledging that everything about this selection process is not our business.

What does that assume? Are the rest of us not worthy of the discussion that will eventually result in a new Pope for all? What is the reason that this must be such a clandestine affair? If it is only tradition, is it time to find a new one?

PIck a Pope

Here's a fun and informative survey on Beliefnet. Answer the questions and they'll tell you which "papabile" is closest to your preferences.

http://www.beliefnet.com/section/quiz/index.asp?sectionID=200&surveyID=235

Pope Ratzinger???

I heard today that Cardinal Ratzinger is thought of very highly among the Cardinals now gathering in Rome. If someone like Ratzinger is elected Pope, would that be a good or bad thing? At least we'd be sure where the church leadership stands.

Poll results released today indicated that 2/3 of American Catholics thought that it was a good idea for JPII to hold such a hard line on traditional Catholic teachings.

Small Faith Communities

Someone told me today that a number of people in her area are forming small faith communities where they can worship together with like minded Catholics. I wonder if that's what's eventually going to happen - we'll return to the ways of the early church, where Christians gathered in homes, and the only time they started another group was when they couldn't fit in the house anymore.

There's something to be said for a small faith community, as long as we don't fall into the trap of making too many rules about it. That's the model we've learned, but maybe we need to modify it a bit. I can't imagine that Jesus told the people on the Mount where to sit and what they could say and who could say it.

Catholics Fighting Among Themselves

I read a newspaper account today of a parish in Oregon where a small faith community broke up over differing understandings of what it is to be Catholic. The prevailing attitude of the more traditional Catholics seemed to be, "These are the rules. If you don't like them, leave and find a church where you are more comfortable."

The priest head of Opus Dei said just about the same thing a few years ago. Paraphrased, he said that it would be all right with him if, years down the road, we ended up with only 35,000 "loyal"Catholics (those who did not express dissent). They would then become the core group who would be called to continue the Church.

If we do not believe in everything our government does, are we no longer Americans? And if the church isn't a democracy, then why not? Who made our Popes infallible? Certainly not Jesus.

Will a new Pope make a difference?

I've talked to more people this week who think that a new Pope won't make one bit of difference. In fact, for all the millions who converged on Vatican City this week, I haven't met anyone who's really been that emotionally involved in the Pope's funeral. Is it just the people I know, or is there an American "disconnect" about the papacy - despite anyone's personal feelings about JPII?

You REALLY are anonymous

Some folks have asked if their comments are truly anonymous on this blog. The answer is ABSOLUTELY. There is no way to discern anyone's identity if you indicate that you'd like to remain in anonymity. And that's the truth, as Lily Tomlin used to say.

A "Papa" at any price?

This was posted by someone out there in the Catholic galaxy and I thought it was worth sharing:

"While most Catholics all over the world now live in democracies, deep down, for preconscious psychological reasons, many of them (as people in general do) yearn for the stability and security of a monarchy, preferably one ruled by a benign emperor/father, to accept them and love them and tell them what to do (though they won't in practice pay much attention to that -- remember the World Youth Day escapades?).

There is something in many among us that wants to be a child again and have a "Papa" to cherish and protect us, a "Papa" who can do no wrong, a "Papa" whom we can honor and trust unconditionally -- a leader! The Catholic pope is (alas, for those among us who yearn for a democratic, egalitarian church) a king! The position itself appeals to this inner yearning, the frightened child within us, and, of course, due to his travels, world-wide television, and the Internet, this pope was the first truly, fully visibly, instantly globally accessible pope in the history of the church, and as a medieval monarch in the modern world, his appeal goes far beyond Catholics."

There actually IS a survey!

For those who expressed an interest in a survey of Catholic attitudes, here is a link for the results of a new one from AP. Unfortunately, the issue of homosexuality doesn't seem to be included in this particular one, but there are others listed. Hope it's helpful.
http://www.ap-ipsosresults.com

John Paul II

We'll spend the week paying proper homage to JPII - he was a good man and made some significant contributions to the state of our world. His leadership of our church caused problems for many, however, and hopes abound in some Catholic sectors for a new leader with a broader vision.

Of course, that kind of thinking leads us right back to where we began - waiting for someone to give us permission to believe and act in a proscribed "Catholic" way. Do we have any say in that?

One of our priest friends wrote a comment stating that we need to believe in the Nicene Creed in order to be Catholic. "He descended to hell and on the third day he rose again from the dead." Find a hundred Catholics and you'll get a hundred different explanations of that sentence. "I believe in God..." How do we define God? Does the Church tell us how to do that? How can anyone? We humans simply cannot definitively imagine God. It's not within our ability.

It's a worthy question to ask what a new Pope can bring to the table besides permission.