Poor Pope Benedict, please pray for our Holy Father

[JPUSC]

I don’t understand why everyone, especially the media, is so against Pope Benedict XVI. Almost everything he does is deemed wrong by the rest of the world when he’s been such a good and holy leader. Seriously, the pope isn’t to blame for the foolish remarks of that horrid schismatic bishop.

“He doesn’t need me to defend him. But it angers me how unjust and badly informed the people who are attacking him are,” the Regensburg Music Director, ‘Domkapellmeister’, Georg Ratzinger told German newspaper ‘Leipziger Volkszeitung’. He finds the harsh criticism the Pope has received from people in his native Germany, as well as from the rest of the world, unjust: “We always speak about an informed society, when in reality it is uninformed.”

bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2009/02/04/pope-brother-georg-ratzinger-critcises-angela-merkel/over-bishop-williamson-holocaust-rehabilitation-scandal-criticism.html

A few days after the events, the lifting of excommunication from the four Lefebvrist bishops is increasingly manifesting itself at the Vatican as a double disaster, of governance and of communication.

In the disaster, Pope Benedict XVI found himself to be the one most exposed, and practically alone.

Both within and outside of the curia, many are blaming the pope for everything. In effect, it was his decision to offer the Lefebvrist bishops a gesture of benevolence. The lifting of excommunication followed other previous gestures of openness, also decided personally by the pope, the last of which was the motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum,” dated July 7, 2007, with the liberalization of the ancient rite of the Mass.

chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/214368?eng=y

Since becoming the leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics in 2005, Benedict has offended Muslims, women, native Indians, Poles, gays and scientists but his latest move is fast snowballing into his most damaging.

But the latest scandal carries particular resonance here as it was Nazi Germany that masterminded and carried out the murder of six million Jews during World War II, and because the 81-year-old pope is German.

google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igUdZxygYTmXLtBf0jYKAc_n85Iw

 

[LilyM]

‘If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me first’ (John 15:18) as Our Lord said.

Remember that many people have hated many of the Holy Fathers before him too -
Pius XII for allegedly not doing enough for the Jews in WWII
Paul VI for not endorsing contraception
JPII (the communists hated him enough to try to kill him!) for standing firm on the ordination of women, among other things.

 

[Joseph_L_Varga]

I guess if you are out to ridicule Christ and his Church, no fun compares to bashing a Pope. Well, maybe those books and movies that distort the historic record on Christ, presenting him as “mentally imbalanced having a case of savior obsession”, “stupid self-absorbed peasant nut”, “married to Mary Magdalene”, would rate even higher in the department of fun.

Yes, let’s pray for our Holy Father.

 

[Paul2274]

For the courage Pope Benedict will need in the trails to come, as well as his health and well being and for all his intentions…
Let us pray…

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Paul

 

[Nordar]

If you are trying to discredit Catholicism, why not start at the top?
I pray for Ou Holy Father every day, he more than anyone is aware that God is in control.

He is not here to pacify the whole world, he is The Head of The Catholic Church, leading (or trying to) souls to God. He does not answer to The World he answers to God!

 

[dotcomrefugee]

JPII was better, IMO.

Meh.

 

[Corki]

JPII was better, IMO.

Meh.

JPII had more impact, I’ll agree. But he had over 20 years to do it. And he made some mistakes too. Many of those who bash Pope Benedict are still not used to the fact that he is different from JPII. I wouldn’t call either one “better”, just different.

Pope Benedict has only been Pope a few years. While I have not always understood his methods, I have been so happy with his leadership.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Well I think we have to face the fact, that in the history of the Catholic Church, not all Popes were good Popes. Some were Great, as I believe JPII was. Others mediocre and a few were very bad. Read about the Papal armies and the wars they led during the dark ages, you’ll be disgusted.

Pope Benedict VXII, is a brilliant intellectual and as often happens with such people as this, they communicate poorly with the average person.

I really didn’t want Cardinal Ratzinger to be elected Pope, for the very reasons we’re seeing. His polarizing the Church within and the offensive statements(even unintentional) have caused more harm than good. He has undone much of what JPII accomplished.

They say he’s a transition Pope, and the Cardinal from Argentina, was being looked at to succeed Pope Benedict.

I still pray for Pope Benedict XVI, for he is our Pope and I hope and pray that he follows the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in everything he does.

Jim

 

[Dauphin]

Well I think we have to face the fact, that in the history of the Catholic Church, not all Popes were good Popes. Some were Great, as I believe JPII was. Others mediocre and a few were very bad. Read about the Papal armies and the wars they led during the dark ages, you’ll be disgusted.

Pope Benedict VXII, is a brilliant intellectual and as often happens with such people as this, they communicate poorly with the average person.

I really didn’t want Cardinal Ratzinger to be elected Pope, for the very reasons we’re seeing. His polarizing the Church within and the offensive statements(even unintentional) have caused more harm than good. He has undone much of what JPII accomplished.

They say he’s a transition Pope, and the Cardinal from Argentina, was being looked at to succeed Pope Benedict.

I still pray for Pope Benedict XVI, for he is our Pope and I hope and pray that he follows the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in everything he does.

Jim

I think it’s extremely innapropriate to get into comparisons between Popes.

Pope Benedict XVI has done a magnificent job. His plan of reform is precisely what the Church needs. He never intended to be a “caretaker”, but a revolutionary. He’s returning the Church to her tradition and foundation is a tremendous way.

He’s done many things for tradition which will be of enormous benefit for the Church in the future. His reconciliation with the SSPX will be the master stroke; they’ll act as the leaven in the loaf which we desperately need.

This Pope is truly a gift. Every day, I thank God that he reigns.

 

[mark_a]

I don’t understand why everyone, especially the media, is so against Pope Benedict XVI. Almost everything he does is deemed wrong by the rest of the world when he’s been such a good and holy leader.

Its not Pope Benedict the media and most everyone hates, its the office.

 

[billyduke101]

Hi y’all, I don’t know much about the Pope or Pope Benedict XVI but what is all the uproar about? I don’t know any of the events that have happened other than what someone told me and a little of what I saw on a TV news channel last night. Does anyone have a good site to keep updated on the Pope? I am hoping someone reading this has found a good site instead of me just searching on msn. This is the only time I’ve heard fuss over Pope Benedict XVI other than when they said that he was in the hitler youth; I got the resolve to that note and I hope to learn more about the Pope. I belong to the Body of Christ, to the Roman Catholic Church, one fold, holy, catholic and apostolic. I feel I have to state this since this is an online forum. Oh well, thanks for your help and God bless,
Billyduke

Have faith like a mustard seed!

 

[Dauphin]

Hi y’all, I don’t know much about the Pope or Pope Benedict XVI but what is all the uproar about? I don’t know any of the events that have happened other than what someone told me and a little of what I saw on a TV news channel last night. Does anyone have a good site to keep updated on the Pope? I am hoping someone reading this has found a good site instead of me just searching on msn. This is the only time I’ve heard fuss over Pope Benedict XVI other than when they said that he was in the hitler youth; I got the resolve to that note and I hope to learn more about the Pope. I belong to the Body of Christ, to the Roman Catholic Church, one fold, holy, catholic and apostolic. I feel I have to state this since this is an online forum. Oh well, thanks for your help and God bless,
Billyduke

Have faith like a mustard seed!

Rorate Caeli is the definitive source for news on this matter:
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/

 

[taylorc]

I don’t know too many people who don’t like the Pope. A lot of the people I know can’t stand Cardinal Martino. He really makes the church look bad with all his crazy statements, but I think the Pope is very diplomatic.

 

[Prague]

I love our German Shepherd. God Bless Him

 

[mystagogia]

What is wrong with Pope Benedict? Where has he violated the trust of maintaining the apostolic tradition?

Benedict is a pope during desparate and challenging times, and so far I’d rate his performance as stellar. He is a good man, and an inspiration to me. When Pope John Paul II passed the Church was faced with a challenge and the selection of the new pope became a hugely politicized global test.

The Church came through in flying colors with the election of this man, Pope Benedict. He is a stalwart rock in the face of trying times, an inspired choice that lends confidence to the proposition that the Holy Catholic Church can still muster a defense of her Magisterium.

Long live Pope Benedict!

 

[JPUSC]

JPII was better, IMO.

Meh.

I would have to disagree. In the few years of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate, we have seen:

• The normalization of the now Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite
• The completion and implementation of the new translation for the English Mass
• The return of various traditions almost lost (e.g. Ad Orientem posture, etc.)
• Reinforcement of the fact that the Catholic Church is the true Church
• Ecumenical/Reunification efforts with the Orthodox, Anglicans and traditionalist groups
• Dialogue with leaders of other religions
• Strengthening of Vatican ties with China
• Rejection of the Dictatorship of Relativism
• Publishing of his wonderful encyclicals: Deus Caritas Est, Spe Salvi
• New rules and guidelines for those entering seminaries
• New examination of the quality of life in communities of women religious to discover possible reasons for decrease in numbers over the past 40 years.
• Exposure of offenders such as Lifeteen founder Dale Fushek and Marcel Maciel
• Apology to victims of the abuse crisis
• An amazing, reverent World Youth Day Mass in Sydney, Australlia

He has led us to the Hope and Light of Christ in a world of darkness.

Feel free to add to the list .

 

[averheyen]

oh c’mon, “poor pope benedict”,

He’s a tough cookie. This is all just nonesense anyway. I’m glad he’s our German Sheppard.

Still though, pray for him.

 

[barb_finnegan]

I love my German Shepherd too!

Yes, he IS a ‘tough cookie’!

I’m half German-my mother was born there in 1917, and came to the US with her family in 1923.

I pray for Papa Benedict everyday!

VIVAT BENEDICTUS!

 

[OriginalJS]

People in leadership positions are always attacked by someone. It may be irritating but that is better than being ignored as irrelevant.

 

[brigid12]

‘If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me first’ (John 15:18) as Our Lord said.

Luckily, our very Holy Father is assuredly even more aware of Our Lord’s words than is anyone else.