I have a question about Ratzinger the new pope

[Sagefrakrobatik]

first of all i wanted to know what to you think are going to be the key issues that are going to define his papacy and so have refered of the new pope as a “transition pope”? what do you make of this

 

[Lorrie]

I have nothing to add to the topic at hand, but I’m pretty sure of one thing, he would probably prefer to be called Pope Benedict XVI (as opposed to “Ratzinger”) and rightly so.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Sagefrakrobatik:

first of all i wanted to know what to you think are going to be the key issues that are going to define his papacy and so have refered of the new pope as a “transition pope”? what do you make of this

Except for one haemoragic stroke (I’m sure I misspelled that), I think the Holy Father is in good health, esp. if you compare him to the old Holy Father at the same age (may our grand old pope rest in everlasting peace and may the Light of Christ shine upon him). I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a ten-twelve year papacy, which would make it fairly long. Transition pope? The pope’s not dead till he’s dead. I think he’ll focus on the West, on “re-Christianizing” it for all intents and purposes, and on tightening up on the liturgy.

 

[puzzleannie]

the last pope we had who was called a transition pope was John 23, some transition

 

[HagiaSophia]

puzzleannie:

the last pope we had who was called a transition pope was John 23, some transition

:clapping: and Christ had a “public life” of three years.

 

[mosher]

Sagefrakrobatik:

first of all i wanted to know what to you think are going to be the key issues that are going to define his papacy and so have refered of the new pope as a “transition pope”? what do you make of this

Rather I think that liberals hope that he will be a transitional pope. As was previously said he is in great health - just minor high blood pressure which is normal at his age. The Holy Father has given us a clue as to what his main topics will be as he has already begun to address them in word and actions.

1. The name Benedict - Benedict XV had to deal with a torn europe and so he will most likely follow on the footsteps of his nominal predicesor.
2. The Eucharist - He said that it was prophetic that he was elected in the year of the Eucharist. Also, it was a larg portion of his homely to close World Youth Day and one of his first acts as Pope was to restore the celebration of the Tridentine Liturgy to St. Peters Bascilica.

While there will definatelly be other topics that he addresses it is evident that these will be two major issues of his pontificate.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Sage___,

Qualifying a papacy before it starts is a human way of judging things. God guides the Church and he has already decided what kind of papacy this is going to be.

As for transition, Leo XIII lived to be 93. And someone above mentionned John XXIII. So…

This is going to be a great papacy if each of us listens to the Pope and tries to put his exhortations into practice.

Verbum

 

[harinkj]

All popes are transitional. The Church is 2000 years old and there have been 265 popes. None has changed what is not supposed to be changed.

Kathie :bowdown:

 

[awalt]

I think Benedict is committed to finishing some of the journeys JP started, including the work with people of other religions, including Jewish, Islamic, Orthodox, Anglican, and more.

 

[Santa_Cruz]

harinkj:

All popes are transitional. The Church is 2000 years old and there have been 265 popes. None has changed what is not supposed to be changed.

Kathie :bowdown:

Thanks be to God.

 

[Cockney_Clive]

and even as we speak, His Holiness is awaiting the green light from the Turkish Government to go to Istanbul (Constantinople of blessed memory) to take up the invitation of Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for ‘dialogue’ between our great Churches. Last three days of November are the scheduled dates for this visit. Turkish Government will agree it as they understand this will put them in a good light with European Union which Turkey is desperate to join.

Dialogue (and eventual unity) with our Eastern, Orthodox brothers and sisters will be the focus of this Papacy and I for one think that if any one can pull this off, it is Benedict. He is greatly respected and his theology is wholly acceptable to them. Benedict is a Greek Patristics ‘specialist’ and he understands the subtleties of the Greek Theology that keeps our two churches apart. Benedict goes with the welcome gift of the Papal apology for Latin crimes committed agasinst the Orthodox given by John Paul in 2003. In my opinion his first Encyclical will be mainly on dialogue with the Orthodox and our seperated, reformed brothers and sisters.

‘Transitional Papacy’? You been reading the New York Times again!!!

 

[Mary1973]

Does anyone else find it interesting that Pope Benedict seems to have a better rapport with our Orthodox brethren than John Paul II had? I wonder why that is? If I am totally off base here, please tellme.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Mary1973:

Does anyone else find it interesting that Pope Benedict seems to have a better rapport with our Orthodox brethren than John Paul II had? I wonder why that is? If I am totally off base here, please tellme.

No, I don’t think you’re at all off base, esp. if you’re talking about the Patriarch of Russia. AND I don’t think it’s either right or fair. No one could have done more than the old Holy Father to have the Church “breathe with both lungs.” He bent over backwards and got a real “talk to the hand” attitude from the Patriarch, esp. in regard to his desire to visit Russia. I harbor just a bit of bitterness at how our good old Pope was treated. I love and admire Pope Benedict, but I don’t know what’s different.

 

[E.E.N.S]

He has said that we will have a smaller but stronger Church. This is going to be a purification of sorts for the Church.

 

[Mary1973]

JKirkLVNV:

No, I don’t think you’re at all off base, esp. if you’re talking about the Patriarch of Russia. AND I don’t think it’s either right or fair. No one could have done more than the old Holy Father to have the Church “breathe with both lungs.” He bent over backwards and got a real “talk to the hand” attitude from the Patriarch, esp. in regard to his desire to visit Russia. I harbor just a bit of bitterness at how our good old Pope was treated. I love and admire Pope Benedict, but I don’t know what’s different.

Well, that’s what make it so curious. I know that our beloved JPII tried so hard.

 

[patshea1128]

I suspect he is going to be a good listener and will react accordingly to what he hears. I think he will serve as a superb example to all of us.

 

[awalt]

The July issue of Inside the Vatican had an excellent editorial on the Pope’s likely key issues, and it cited 3: ecumenism, religious freedom, and the liturgy. His goal on these issues will be to bring clarity/closure on them.

It also said he would respect his age and not travel as much as JP II did, and we would see him emerge is the Teaching Pope, of which he has moved in this direction already.

 

[manualman]

IMO sour grapes goes a long way towards explaining russian orthodox hostility towards Rome. In the communist era there were two major schools of thought about how to deal with communist repression inside countries controlled by it.

JP first as a Polish bishop, then as pope took the approach that the church may be powerless to resist government intrusion into church endeavors as regards schools, hospitals, and similar institutions, but she would NOT accept government control over ordinations to the priesthood, selection of bishops and similar matters of faith and culture. This approach was very confrontational and risky.

The Russian orthodox church leadership took a much less agressive approach based on the assumption that communism would exist for generations and that the church must not force confrontations so large as to cause the government to shut her down.

JP turned out to be OH so very right. The RO ended up looking like virtual collaborators with the communists or cowards at the least. The RO leadership never forgave him for humiliating them so.

Benedict never lived under the communist boot. Thus his leadership contains no stinging reminder of the clearly superior leadership of Rome throughout the communist era.

 

[kaymart]

Lorrie:

I have nothing to add to the topic at hand, but I’m pretty sure of one thing, he would probably prefer to be called Pope Benedict XVI (as opposed to “Ratzinger”) and rightly so.

Exactly, lets not lose Respect for Our Holy Father. Next time Please address Him accordingly.

 

[patshea1128]

manualman:

IMO sour grapes goes a long way towards explaining russian orthodox hostility towards Rome. In the communist era there were two major schools of thought about how to deal with communist repression inside countries controlled by it.

History is way overrated! Did you know, a lot of High School football coaches teach History? That should be the first piece of evidence to support my statement.