How would an American Pope influence the United States?

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In light of St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke’s appointment by Pope Benedict XVI to the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, what does everyone think about greater American clergy involvement in the upper hierarchy of the Church?

**How would an American Pope influence the United States?
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I think it would inflame anti-Catholics, but it also may very well draw attention to the Church to those who otherwise would not hear what the Catholic Church offers. That’s of course assuming the Pope was not some unorthodox bishop or clergy. I think it could empassion the faithful here as well.

What do you think? I’m open to other angles, as I have only thought about this for a few minutes. :hmmm:
 
I doubt the most reverend Cardinal Electors would elect an American to the Supreme Office of the Church, at least in the foreseeable future. I have a hard time seeing many Italians, for instance, voting for an American. Not that they are in any way anti-American; but there would be, I think, fear of American bellicosity or a sense of American superiority, not on the part of the potential American pontiff, but on the part of American Catholics. IMHO, I think they would feel that Americans already have enough influence on non-American Church, for good or ill, through our vast international media presence, among other factors, and that asking the world to accept even more visibility of American Catholicism may be stretching it. They would be absolutely right to think so, IMHO.

I would much rather see a third-world Pope, especially an African or Latin American. I would not accuse their Emminences of an ounce of racism–and I think a black or Latin-American Pope would help many rethink just how very relevant the Church still is in today’s world. In other words, it would display like a huge banner that says, “No, we’re not just about old white European males, we never have been–but now the proof’s so obvious you can’t overlook it.”

Cardinal Arinze comes to mind…

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I understand symbolically why a Third World Pope would be a good choice but, ultimately, we would have to trust that the Holy Spirit would guide the Cardinals to the right choice, not just the politically most appealing choice. I love my German Shepherd, so I hope we are talking at least a decade down the line here. Clearly, with William Levada being chosen to take over Cardinal Ratzinger’s job when he became Pope and the presence of three Americans in the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Pope Benedict sees a larger role for American Catholics in the universal Church. He is being called “The American Pope”:

endrtimes.blogspot.com/2008/0…ican-pope.html

There may be many Catholics outside the U.S. who would feel threatened by an American Pope, but I think we can expect to at least see a larger presence by Americans in the upper levels of the Church in the coming decades.
 
How 'bout we keep Pope Benedict around for a few more years first?

John
 
What I have wondered is how the secular media would react if an Eastern Catholic is elected pope?

Probably the headlines would read, “Non-Catholic become pope” or something equally silly.
 
I do not want this thread to turn into “Instead of your OP question…how about THIS question” …or… “It will never happen…” (Eden, thanks for your answer at the end of your post)

It’s a hypothetical question!! :rolleyes:
 
Eden said:
I understand symbolically why a Third World Pope would be a good choice but, ultimately, we would have to trust that the Holy Spirit would guide the Cardinals to the right choice, not just the politically most appealing choice.** I love my German Shepherd, so I hope we are talking at least a decade down the line here.**
Click to expand...
Amen. May he live to be 112!
Clearly, with William Levada being chosen to take over Cardinal Ratzinger’s job when he became Pope and the presence of three Americans in the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Pope Benedict sees a larger role for American Catholics in the universal Church. He is being called “The American Pope”:
Click to expand...
endrtimes.blogspot.com/2008/0…ican-pope.html
Click to expand...
There may be many Catholics outside the U.S. who would feel threatened by an American Pope, but I think we can expect to at least see a larger presence by Americans in the upper levels of the Church in the coming decades.
Click to expand...
I don’t think the perceived threat would be an American Pope–since that would be the Holy Spirit’s choice–but rather the American faithful. I think much of the rest of the world sees us as just too darn roudy. And it is interesting, as you point out, that Benedict has appointed a large number of Americans in the Curia.

BTW, the book you link to at the end of your posts is indeed EXCELLENT–I second your recommendation.
 
I would hope that an American pope would light a fire of renewal here, and maybe it would for a few months, but I think that eventually it wouldn’t make much difference. The average Catholic would continue to ignore the pope on moral issues like they do already.
Amen. May he live to be 112!
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I second that Amen. I love our current pope 🙂
 
I am very happy with the pope we presently have and hope he will be around for a long time. I personally do not see an American pope any time in the foreseeable future. Possible? yes. Probable? No
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
 
Perhaps more bishops would feel a certain immediacy of identifiability with an American pope to the point that they’d be able/willing to “get with the program” just because they sense “he’s one of us.”

From a more popular standpoint, I think that it would raise awareness among Catholics and the general public as to what the pope is saying about things, with some Catholics inspired to live out the faith more profoundly.

That said, I think that an American pope would likely be less Americanized and more of an international man. So his papacy would not necessarily focus as intently on all the our own concerns, but take into larger account those of the world around us. That, too, might be a good thing for Americans and American Catholics as it could shake us out of our comfortable perches in order to see things from another perspective and, perhaps, grow in wisdom.

That said, it is quite unlikely to happen for all of the reasons stated above. Whether it would be a good thing or something more of a challenge for the Church, who knows. If an American were elected pope, I think that it would have to be someone who already has more of an worldwide perspective.

It used to be the great liberal Catholic pipe dream that Cardinal Bernardin would be the first American pope. Ironically, about the only man with even an outside chance of it today would probably be his successor, Cardinal George.
 
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