HABEMVS PAPAM!

BENEDICTVS P. P. XVI



Joseph Cardinale Ratzinger (1927-)

May God bless His new Sheppard!

 

That was quick!

God bless the new Pope!

 

this is going to be interesting..........

viele Glück

 

From what I have read about him it looks like another 20 or so years with the Catholic Church (my Church) with its head in the sand.

Later

 

That would be a miracle as he is 78 already, but miracles are the Catholic Church's province so expect the unexpected

 

Let's just hope he is at least half the man Pope John Paul II was.

 

Well, I think John Paul II's papacy's ideology was pretty much based on Ratzinger's theology and ideas…

Now we have a cold-minded, a bit less charming but very intelligent and efficient Pope. I think he's just the right man to annalyse the Church's current faith crises and build the path for his revolutionary successor.

 

Fried,

I don't understand your optimism

Later

 

Interesting nicknames:

...including “the enforcer”, “the panzer cardinal” and “God’s rottweiler”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1572667,00.html

Just reminds me of the old Stalin question " How many divisions does the pope have then?"....

 

Me neither, really. But then I am no Catholic, and maybe should stay quiet. I'll just note that the new Pope continues the great tradition of sternly condemning a host of things that are considered normal for those of us living in the 21st century. As such he would certainly NOT get my vote if I had any say.

Which I don't, of course...

 

Just thought I may share with you what I heard on Irish radio yesterday...

An awful lot of people were phoning in calling him the 'Nazi Pope'... I dont think this will be helped by todays newspapers that show him as a young man/boy in his German army uniform... Lets face it your average person will just see a Nazi...

Personally, as not being the religious type, I dont really have any views either way. I like the nickname 'PanzerKardinal' though... But he does seem a little old. Perhaps one last 'hardliner' before they bring in a 'new style' Pope?

 

Probably true. For all the problems I have with his views, this one is obviously a bogus charge. I hope people realize that entry into the Hitlerjugend wasn't exactly voluntary at the time. And neither was serving in various military support roles, as there was this little thing called a WAR on, and when doing so one was usually issued a uniform...

 

I think the media has been rather unfair with Pope Benedict XVI, or, more even, with former cardinal Ratzinger.

One, he is not a fascist. His family was anti-Nazi and he himself was an anti-Nazi, who, along his brother and risking his life, deserted the armed forces.

Two, although he was the head of the Holy Inquisition, he is not Torquemada. He was the chief theologist of the Catholic Church. Therefore, his job was to justify and question, aided by science and philosophy, the doctrines of the Church.

As an Inquisitor, Ratzinger has the enormous talent to see the problems and the causes of problems. He evaluates the situations and acts in their solution with teutonic efficiency.

He is the opposite of John Paul II, full of charm and smiles. Benedict XVI is reserved and more serious. However, John Paul II belived that things could change only by one of his orders. Benedict XVI, as an Inquisitor, knows that not orders but hard work are necessary.

If you really want to know the real Ratzinger, do it by yourself and not by what you are told: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's articles. By reading what he really think you'll get to know a man of tremendous intelligence and full with self-criticism.

Benedict XVI knows that the Catholic Church is facing a gigantic faith crisis: people no longer attend mass, participates in the holy sacraments nor choses the religious profession. He's said that many times: 'the Church is dressed in filthy costumes'.

And he perfectly knows that such crisis is not caused by such silly affairs as anti-contraception, ordination of women, sacerdotal celibacy (in fact, there are non-celibre priests within the Catholic Church, within its eastern rite) or gay marriage.

In fact, the rapidly growing pseudo-protestant sects which steal the title of Christian for themselves are far more puritan and intolerant than the Catholic Church.

Benedict XVI knows that priestesses and non-celibe priests will NOT solve the Church's crisis, because such crisis is caused by deep theological and ideological problems in modern societies.

The Church now needs not another charming and traveller Pope, but a theologist and ideologist who attacks this crisis. And that man is Benedict XVI, just the perfect man for the job!

 

Here's also a sample of the thoughness of the man:

"What can the third fall of Jesus under the Cross say to us? We have considered the fall of man in general, and the falling of many Christians away from Christ and into a godless secularism. Should we not also think of how much Christ suffers in his own Church? How often is the holy sacrament of his Presence abused, how often must he enter empty and evil hearts! How often do we celebrate only ourselves, without even realizing that he is there! How often is his Word twisted and misused! What little faith is present behind so many theories, so many empty words! How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him! How much pride, how much self-complacency! What little respect we pay to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where he waits for us, ready to raise us up whenever we fall! All this is present in his Passion. His betrayal by his disciples, their unworthy reception of his Body and Blood, is certainly the greatest suffering endured by the Redeemer; it pierces his heart. We can only call to him from the depths of our hearts: Kyrie eleison – Lord, save us (cf. Mt 8: 25)."

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Good Friday 2005, 9th Station of the Via Cruxis.

 

Do You really think there is someone who can replace HIM ?

 

http://info.onet.pl/_i/galeria/serwis_papiez/kult_i_rel/jp15d.JPG

 

No. No one could replace John Paul II. But now he's gone. As are the also un-replaceable Blessed John XXIII or Paul VI…

But Benedict XVI is someone who can do all what Wojtyla left un-finished and try to solve with pure theology and work the problems sheer carisma could not solve.