Cardinal Ratzinger becomes Pope Benedict XVI
Wednesday, April 20th, 2005
I heard the news on the radio this morning about 6.20 am. There is a new pope. And it’s 78 year old Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He’s been described as a scholar and a leader, a conservative.
Ratzinger first got my attention back in 2000 when he issued a letter to bishops warning them about the use of the phrase “sister church”. The last line got the attention of the press.
“Finally, it must also be borne in mind that the expression sister Churches in the proper sense, as attested by the common Tradition of East and West, may only be used for those ecclesial communities that have preserved a valid Episcopate and Eucharist.”
Understandably anyone who wasn’t Anglican or Orthodox felt somewhat uneasy about this approach. And my Catholic colleagues in youth ministry coordination in New Zealand.
Reading through the document it makes it clear though that Ratzinger was trying to clarify where the Roman Catholic church was at in developing sister relationships with particular churches. He was concerned that the holy Catholic Apostolic Church be seen as the mother of all churches. Did he mean that to be the Roman Catholic church?
The document is online at the Vatican.
We watched Ratzinger officiate at the funeral of John Paul II. As a member of a non-sister church (Uniting Church in Australia) I struggled to be gracious toward the man. I’m sure he’ll have a lot to offer the church.
One fascinating angle on the election of pope has been the speculation linked with the prophecies of St Malachy, Irish bishop at the beginning of the second millennium. Malachy allegedly predicted that there would be 112 more popes before the final judgment. Benedict is number 111, the Glorious Olive. Peter the Roman is to be number 112 and will lead his people through tribulation before the end when Rome is destroyed and the judge presents his judgment. I’ve seen commentators suggest that Malachy only said that the last pope would be Peter the Roman and that there could be any number between the 111 and 112. It all sounds a bit like the rules around how many Dr Who incarnations can take place.
Even though the pope traditionally continues until his death, every one in the long line of succession has been there “for a limited time only”.
Tags: Catholicism, Pope Benedict XVI, Ratzinger, World Events
The pope I grew up knowing about was Pope Paul VI, otherwise known as Giovanni Battista Enrica Antonia Maria Montini. He’s remembered for his 1968 statement on human sexuality in which he made it clear that artificial birth control was sinful. Apparently the flack over that got to him. As well as the criticism he copped for actioning the advances of Vatican II (1962-1964) like introduction of the mass in the vernacular languages of the world. In his later years he seemed reluctant to come out with anything controversial or striking.
I was 16 when the next pope, John Paul I, Albino Luciani, died suddenly, 34 days after his election in September 1978. I remember John Paul I as a smiling, humble man, somewhat similar to Peter Sellars in appearance. And I remember the many conspiracy theories that came out after his death. The Vatican at the time seemed to be covering up.
John Paul II has certainly made a difference in the image of the Catholic Church around the world. First of all he’s Polish not Italian. He’s helped move the Catholic Church beyond the confines of Italian culture. He’s moved around, appeared publicly, been shot and forgiven his would-be assassin. He probably played a part in the fall of the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe. Yes he has promoted a conservative line on sexuality and theology, attempting to reduce the impact of movements centred on liberation theology and creation spirituality. He’s made sure that priests continue to be male, single and celibate. At the same time he’s engaged with popular media, releasing his work on the internet and on CD. It will be interesting to see what happens next.
