Is Pope Benedict XVI The Same Man The Conclave Elected?

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When he was elected I was confused, since he was coming from being a progressive theologian in his younger days but then having been the sort that didn’t seem to pull any punches as Prefect of CDF. I didn’t know what to expect. 🤷 My guess is that the Holy Spirit is laughing up His sleeve (if He has one). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if many of the people who elected BXVI thought he wouldn’t live long enough to do anything (like they thought of Bl. John XXIII). I’ve surprised myself, too, since I loved JPII. I didn’t think I’d like any Pope as well. Well, I’m really loving this Pope.😉
 
brigid12 said:
When he was elected I was confused, since he was coming from being a progressive theologian in his younger days but then having been the sort that didn’t seem to pull any punches as Prefect of CDF. I didn’t know what to expect. 🤷 My guess is that the Holy Spirit is laughing up His sleeve (if He has one). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if many of the people who elected BXVI thought he wouldn’t live long enough to do anything (like they thought of Bl. John XXIII). I’ve surprised myself, too, since I loved JPII. I didn’t think I’d like any Pope as well. Well, I’m really loving this Pope.😉
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You know, I remember someone from the news channel I was watching the day he was elected, was talking to someone who said that the choice of naming Ratzinger may be an indication that the conclave wanted an interim pope. I can’t recall the reason the person said that, but your comment made me think of that.

I wish him many more years 🙂
 
I_Believe said:
In your opinion, has BXVI exceeded the expectations of those who elected him ? Has he surprised them in any way ?

And for those who knew a bit about him before he was elected, has your opinion of him changed since the day he became pope ?

As for myself, I admire him and love him dearly. I see good things ahead.
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He is proving BETTER than what I was expecting him to be. And I was expecting him to be pretty darned good.

He is a very healthy 80 years old. God grant him many years!
 
People seemed to have labeled him the hatchet man, but those who did either had really short memories, or no history of the office (granted that it went through a reshaping) from about 45 to about 100 years ago.

I remember the comments made within these threads soon after he was elected; comments about a “smackdown” and the like; it was almost as unseemly as the Muslims dancing in the streets after 9/11.

That bit of triumphalism seems to have died off; perhaps the die off started when they found out he had a private lunch with Hans Kung.

I find him to be a very astute, intelligent and facinating writer. As a pope, he has none of the flair or presence that John Paul 2 exhibited. But being German, he may have some of the best yet to come, in that the Orthodox seem more willing to sit down and restart the process of hashing things out.
 
otjm said:
That bit of triumphalism seems to have died off; perhaps the die off started when they found out he had a private lunch with Hans Kung.

I find him to be a very astute, intelligent and facinating writer. As a pope, he has none of the flair or presence that John Paul 2 exhibited. But being German, he may have some of the best yet to come, in that the Orthodox seem more willing to sit down and restart the process of hashing things out.
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One of the wisest moves anybody can make is to ingratiate one’s “enemies”. A colleague of mine who gets on very well with a notorious troublemaker at the office says, “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer.”
 
mercygate said:
One of the wisest moves anybody can make is to ingratiate one’s “enemies”. A colleague of mine who gets on very well with a notorious troublemaker at the office says, “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer.”
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Kind of like "kill 'em with kindness " ? 🙂
 
I’m revisiting this thread to see if anyone else wants to comment or has changed their views since the thread faded away.

I love him more each day. I just see so many positive things happening. His SC which freed the Gregorian Rite is bearing fruit. He is giving Communion on the tongue to those kneeling these days. (I remember when Archbishop Ranjith spoke on how we should receive Communion, many dismissed his words, saying he doesn’t speak for the Pope.)

Cardinal Hoyos has promoted the return of the Gregorian Rite, even praying the GR in Westminister Cathedral, and despite not a single bishop in the UK showing up, very recently many UK clergy reportedly are training to pray the GR.

Then there is the fantasic news of regularization of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer ! (formally the Transalpine Redemptorists) Just last week, 5 young men left Papa Stronsay for the FSSP seminary in Nebraska.

I can’t wait to see what BXVI does next 🙂
 
I love Pope Benedict. He is largely in part responsible for my conversion to the one true faith.
 
Pope Benedict XVI and most especially the Holy Spirit helped inspire me to the priesthood.
 
Thank you. I’m currently being deemed a heretic in the Astrology & Christianity thread.
 
Bumping this thread again, since a lot has happened since the last post in August.
 
I’ve read his three “interview” books–The Ratzinger Report, Salt of the Earth, and God and the World, and the picture I have of him is a brilliant, devoted, truly remarkable man.

Prior to reading those books, most of what I knew about him I’d received from media reports, so I was expecting the books to reveal a stodgy, reactionary dogmatist (I know, I should’ve known better). Instead, I found an intelligent, articulate, and faithful mind, incredibly well-versed in just about everything.

As Pope, he seems to be very much the man of those interviews…thank God.
 
I recall the first time I knew about the Holy Father. I was sorting my section of the college library and a magazine flipped open to show this man looking intently back at the viewer. The article was in the December 1993 issue of Time, Keeper of the straight and narrow. I was very impressed by his words and kept that article for many years.

I didn’t actively follow him, but if he was mentioned I’d look into it. By 2005, I was aware of how he wanted to retire and was waiting for the new pope to offer his resignation. I was saddened he didn’t get his wish, yet must say I am so thankful God gave him to the Church!

**

I read his words every so often and find something good every time. I am so happy that I can attend the Mass in Latin; that’s something I never expected to be able to experience as it felt like it was long gone. I pray for him every day, for his health, his safety, and to be steadfast against the wolves.
 
I_Believe said:
In your opinion, has BXVI exceeded the expectations of those who elected him ? Has he surprised them in any way ?

And for those who knew a bit about him before he was elected, has your opinion of him changed since the day he became pope ?

As for myself, I admire him and love him dearly. I see good things ahead.
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If you are talking about what he has done as far as his Motu Proprio and the various efforts that have come along with that…they would have had to be totally ignorant of who he is and what he has said and wrote in the past to not know who Ratzinger/Benedict XVI is and would do as Pope.
 
srlucado said:
I’ve read his three “interview” books–The Ratzinger Report, Salt of the Earth, and God and the World, and the picture I have of him is a brilliant, devoted, truly remarkable man.

Prior to reading those books, most of what I knew about him I’d received from media reports, so I was expecting the books to reveal a stodgy, reactionary dogmatist (I know, I should’ve known better). Instead, I found an intelligent, articulate, and faithful mind, incredibly well-versed in just about everything.

As Pope, he seems to be very much the man of those interviews…thank God.
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Same with my view of him pre-papacy (except I haven’t read God and the World - is it as good as the other two, btw?).

When he was elected to the papacy I was able to listen to a lot of commentaries about it from people who were known to be orthodox Catholics (late Fr. Neuhaus, etc.). What was brought out a number of times in these was that Card. Ratzinger, as prefect of the CDF, had a very different role from the one required of the Pope. From what I had read of him, I was not thinking he would be very divisive, however that he might start the Catholic Church on the lines of a slightly more dignified worship. I loved JPII (I came into the Church under his papacy) and was not expecting to have as warm feelings toward our present Holy Father. Well, along with being intelligent and faithful he’s won my heart, too!
I think he has to watch himself around the Curia in order to not “step on toes”, but he seems to be able to be quite gentle, while encouraging some needed changes.
 
brigid12 said:
… I haven’t read God and the World - is it as good as the other two, btw?
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In my opinion, it’s the best of the three. It’s longer, for one thing, so he gets into more detail, and Peter Seewald’s questions are quite insightful, which prompt very interesting responses.

If you’ve already read the other two, I highly recommend it. I couldn’t put it down, and wish everyone–especially critics of Catholicism in general and the Pope in particular–would make the effort to read it. They’d be amazed, if not outright converted.
 
I_Believe said:
In your opinion, has BXVI exceeded the expectations of those who elected him ? Has he surprised them in any way ?

And for those who knew a bit about him before he was elected, has your opinion of him changed since the day he became pope ?

As for myself, I admire him and love him dearly. I see good things ahead.
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I doubt any pope has failed to surprise the college of cardinals with their reign in the last century.

Pius IX overrode the Plenary Councils of Baltimore, opening the US to the Eastern Catholics.
Pius X established specific teaching institutions for the Eastern Churches in Rome
Pius XI accepted a group that had been considered heretics a few years earlier into the Church, the Malabars
Pius XII ordered the delatinization of the Eastern Churches
John XXIII rejected the mild outline for Vatican II
Paul VI promulgated the Novus Ordo. He also removed an enthroned bishop of an eastern church, imprisoned him, and then sent him as an auxiliary to a Roman Diocese, all for for latinizations of his Eastern Church. He gave teeth to Pious XII’s order…
John Paul I died way too quickly
John Paul II made huge changes, and yet, subtle changes. And he lasted far longer than many expected.
Benedict XVI started the canonization of his predecessor as soon as good order would permit… And mixed Latin and Eastern forms in Papal liturgies, whilst decrying litugical innovation…
 
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