Okay Fellow Catholics I Need Your Help Defending Our New Papa

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I am on a messageboard that has absolutely nothing to do with Catholicism or Christianity…in fact it’s a messageboard dedicated to a group of famous musicians. But in General discussion they are posting their opinions on our new Pope. One fellow said that it’s obvious he won’t last 5 years and that he is just a stop gap while they decide where the Church is going. He also said its Pope Benedict XVI’s successor he is mostly interested in…

…I am hearing a lot about that lately. I really think people believe that a liberal will be our Pope’s successor…or something.

Can someone explain to me why they wanted to choose an older Pope rather than a younger one? And should I try and defend my Church or should I just leave it be because it’s on a messageboard that has nothing to do with Catholics?

Try as I might I come out very weak when I attempt to defend my faith.

Thanks and God Bless!
~Kerry
 
Yikes! And someone else said that they weren’t happy with the choice because he is too conservative. Then this person goes on and says and I quote ‘Just the same old stuff again from old people who think we still live in the middle ages…I think it’s stupid, we live in the 21th century for christs sake! And I am a Catholic…’

Wooow…first she says the Lord’s name in vain…then she goes on to say she’s…a Catholic?

I replied back to this young lady
"Just because it’s the 21st century doesn’t mean the Catholic Church is going to change it’s SET traditions to ‘get with the times’ and please those who want less morals to follow. It may not be easy to follow every single rule but I make these sacrifices to become closer to Him and I couldn’t be happier. I am a Catholic too and i have absolutely no problem with our newly elected Papa. He is simply following the Church’s teachings and God Bless him for that.

Long Live Pope Benedict XVI!

~God Bless~"

Like I said I’m not great at debating and I am afraid I may have said some things I shouldn’t have…but I poured out my feelings.
 
Hmmmm. After 2000 years of unbroken teaching, the phrase “same old stuff” kinda looses any meaning. The Catholic Church will ALWAYS teach the “same old stuff.” That is exactly WHY we love our Church.

God Bless Benedict XVI. So what if he is 78? He proclaims the TRUTH and we are **blessed **for it!

And God bless you, MidnightSun02, for your witness to Our Lords’s Bride.
 
What Jesus taught as truth in 30-33 was truth in the middle ages and is still truth today. Truth does not change no matter how much some people want it to. Thank God for an orthodox pope.
 
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MidnightSun02:
I am on a messageboard that has absolutely nothing to do with Catholicism or Christianity…in fact it’s a messageboard dedicated to a group of famous musicians. But in General discussion they are posting their opinions on our new Pope. One fellow said that it’s obvious he won’t last 5 years and that he is just a stop gap while they decide where the Church is going. He also said its Pope Benedict XVI’s successor he is mostly interested in…

…I am hearing a lot about that lately. I really think people believe that a liberal will be our Pope’s successor…or something.

Can someone explain to me why they wanted to choose an older Pope rather than a younger one? And should I try and defend my Church or should I just leave it be because it’s on a messageboard that has nothing to do with Catholics?

Try as I might I come out very weak when I attempt to defend my faith.

Thanks and God Bless!
~Kerry
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I think that the Cardinals chose the most conservative Cardinal among them for a reason. Not only that…but they didn’t waist any time in doing so. Therefore, their idea of where the Church should be going is definately what I’ve been praying for.

Non-negotiables:
Abortion
Euthanasia
Women Priests
Contraception
Homosexuality

These are just some of the issues in which Benedict XVI will continue to enforce!!!

This is a great time for all Catholics and of course, the world. There needs to be a moral compas in the world, and it is the Catholic Church!!!

God Bless His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI!!!
 
To consider Ratzinger as a “stop gap” is very wishful thinking on their part.
If the cardinals wanted a liberal they would have selected a liberal.

If the Church is going to turn liberal - what sense does it make to select a conservative as a “stop gap”?

Anyways…Ratzinger is older - but he is a man with a powerful mind and a clear understanding of what Vatican II meant - and what his predecessor was trying to accomplish.

If the goal of the Church is to continue the work of John Paul II - they could not have picked a better man.
 
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MidnightSun02:
ICan someone explain to me why they wanted to choose an older Pope rather than a younger one? And should I try and defend my Church or should I just leave it be because it’s on a messageboard that has nothing to do with Catholics?
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if I understand your question, you are asking us, other fallible mortals, to explain the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church and to justify His choice of our new pope. Nobody here is qualified to answer.
You are further identifying defense of the Faith with the ability to produce such an explanation. Discussion of the pope, his biography, personality, attributes, and aspects of his role does not constitute an attack on the Catholic Faith requiring rebuttal.
 
puzzleannie>>>Discussion of the pope, his biography, personality, attributes, and aspects of his role does not constitute an attack on the Catholic Faith requiring rebuttal.<<<<

Discussion…no!!! But what about Blatant attacks. There are plenty to choose from. Defense of the Church as well as the Pope will be something, unfortunatly, that we will always have to engage in.

God Bless His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI!!!
 
Remember, over 90% of the cardinals were appointed by John Paul II. I doubt there are many liberals in there. :nope:

While discussion of Church direction is always healthy IMHO, at some point you obey or not. That is a key teaching of both God the Father and Jesus Christ in the Bible. It’s a fruit of the Joyful Mystery of the Presentation.

This is a by-product of our secular times, that many people thin they have a vote and that the teachings of God are subject to debate, choice, and vote.

If the Rosary also teaches fear and obedience, I do **NOT **want to be in the line where humans are arguing with Jesus about his direction for us!! That will not be a pretty sight. Why do they risk their salvation on something so … secular?
 
Wow, thanks you guys, for your powerful words!! They really helped me understand a bit more!

God Bless!
~Kerry

Long Live Pope Benedict XVI!!
 
The new Pope will become as popular as the JPII, he is a brilliant man “has a wry sense of humor” and is very personable. He has the exact same politics as JPII. The more I hear about him the more I like him. If he reaches out to young people (and I suspect he will, world Youth day is in Germany this year - what a great coincidence) as his predecessor did, he will become every bit as popular.

While the prior pope was ill, the new Pope basically ran the Vatican, he was the one who met with all the cardinals, they all know and respect him. The choice was an excellent one and we are very blessed to have Pope Benedict XVI lead us.

We have had some really wonderful popes lately -several are up for sainthood, you have to go pretty far back to find a mediocre or bad one.

wc
 
Hi,

This is my first post, so I apologize if I’m in the wrong place or if I passed over the information that I need somewhere else on this forum.

I teach Catechism to 7th graders. A girl in the class wants to know why the Catholic Church does not ordain women. It is my understanding that the Church will never ordain women. I should have been able to give a better reply, but I told the class that Jesus was a man and the priest is acting in the person of Christ, and therefore needs to be a man. The girl didn’t seem to understand, and I felt that I should have been able to get into it a little more deeply. Does anybody know where I might be able to find more information on this? My next class is Monday April 25th. Thank you in advance and God bless you.

Al
 
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awalt:
Remember, over 90% of the cardinals were appointed by John Paul II. I doubt there are many liberals in there. :nope:
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And they can only get more conservative with any appointments by the new pope.
 
In 1978, the cardinals elected a 68-year-old archbishop of Venice who died 33 days later. In 1878, the cardinals elected 68-year-old Pope Leo XIII as an interim pope after the 31-year reign of Pius IX. Pope Leo lived for 25 more years and died in 1903 at 93. Except for God, one never knows for sure.
 
Mdnightsun wrote, “Can someone explain to me why they wanted to choose an older Pope rather than a younger one? And should I try and defend my Church or should I just leave it be because it’s on a messageboard that has nothing to do with Catholics?”
The age of the new Pope is not at all important.
They elected the man the Holy Spirit told them would lead and PROTECT the Church for the next few years. Benedict XVI is known to be a great intelect, he has been a true leader for almost 20 years.

The Holy Mother Church DOES NOT:
  1. Cave in to the News Papers or the TV coverage (that is transatory)
  2. The Holy Mother Church doesn’t listen to the laity
  3. She doesnt listen to the radicals ( the silly people who want women priests) , she listens to the Hoy Spirit.
If chosing a young Pope was so impelling, why not go all the way and choose an 18 year old H.S. Grauate. All Catholics are eligible to be Pope. But they dont do that because they need not only wisdom but holiness in a Pope.
 
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abarcas2001:
Hi,

This is my first post, so I apologize if I’m in the wrong place or if I passed over the information that I need somewhere else on this forum.

I teach Catechism to 7th graders. A girl in the class wants to know why the Catholic Church does not ordain women. It is my understanding that the Church will never ordain women. I should have been able to give a better reply, but I told the class that Jesus was a man and the priest is acting in the person of Christ, and therefore needs to be a man. The girl didn’t seem to understand, and I felt that I should have been able to get into it a little more deeply. Does anybody know where I might be able to find more information on this? My next class is Monday April 25th. Thank you in advance and God bless you.
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This is a tough one to answer, and it takes some effort to understand the basis for it. You are aware, of course, that all of the sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ, the founder of our Faith. This being the case; neither the Church, nor any member of it including the Pope himself, has any authority whatsoever to change the matter, form or substance of any of these sacrements.
Since they have no authority to do so, it would be impious and persumptious to do so.

For further information on this refer to the responsum of HH Pope John Paul II on this exact subject.

May the love of God, the peace of His Son Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always.
 
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abarcas2001:
Hi,

I teach Catechism to 7th graders. A girl in the class wants to know why the Catholic Church does not ordain women. It is my understanding that the Church will never ordain women. I should have been able to give a better reply, but I told the class that Jesus was a man and the priest is acting in the person of Christ, and therefore needs to be a man. The girl didn’t seem to understand, and I felt that I should have been able to get into it a little more deeply. Does anybody know where I might be able to find more information on this? My next class is Monday April 25th. Thank you in advance and God bless you.

Al
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Actually, your reply is absolutely correct that the priest is acting in persona Christi at the altar and therefore needs to be male. The relationship between Christ and the Church in Heaven is mirrored by the relationship between husband and wife on earth, and the husband is distinctly male. However, this is not something you want to be telling a seventh-grade girl.

While I would certainly agree with the person who suggested that you read Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, a shorter answer is that when Jesus instituted the Eucharist the night before He died, everybody present was male. The same is true with the post-resurrection appearance when he gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles. The holiest person ever born (except for Jesus Himself), Mary Mother of God, was not there and was not made a priest. Jesus never troubled Himself much with social conventions under other circumstances, so He wouldn’t have been doing so at this time either. He therefore had His own reasons for not ordaining women, and the Church is not authorized to change this.

As a former Episcopalian (with a sister who is an Episcopal priest and a mother who is an Episcopal deacon), I can say a little bit about that example of a church that chose to ordain women. They have now gotten themselves into a situation in which they cannot say of any practice that it is definitely right or wrong and promise that they will never change their minds. While this is not relevant to the question of ordaining women, it is a useful thing to keep in your hip pocket in case the questioner asks “Well, the Episcopal church ordains women, so why can’t we?”
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