Welcome, Holy Father

Everybody gets to be a papal expert today, so here are my observations, worth precisely what you paid for them.
1. The choice is not a sentimental one. It does not play to the crowd, much less to the zeitgeist‘s desire for a nice, kind, “flexible” man.
2. The choice is a safe one. The cardinals all know the new pope and they know what to expect (or at least they think they do.)
3. The speed of the choice indicates that if the cardinals did not know who they wanted, they at least knew what they wanted.
3. The problems within the Church stem from a lack of orthodoxy, compounded by insufficient and often flawed leadership. Cardinal Ratzinger is intimately familiar with both shortcomings, has been dealing with them for years, and now has the power to correct them at the higher levels.
4. This does not absolve us, the laity, from correcting the flaws at our lower level. Indeed, that is our job. We should start with the lowest level of all — our own hearts.
5. Orthodox Catholics may be hoping for a Götterdämmerung of the heterodox liberals, when the internal enemies of the True Faith will be cast out into the darkness. We should instead hope for their conversion and repentence for whatever misunderstandings they have created, and for the faiths they have stifled. (I say this as someone who is infuriated every time a priest, religious, or Church employee questions Catholic teaching in public.) The Holy Father will sort things out the way he deems prudent, and we should be careful not to indulge ourselves in revenge fantasies, however psychologically satisfying they may be. “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matt. 7:2).
Let the work begun with Pope John Paul II find its consummation in the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI.
CORRECTION: I hope it was clear from the original text, but I was saying we should not indulge in revenge fantasies. I left out the “not” in the original.

47 comments

  2. Please note that I used two German words in my post, and set them off with italics.
    I have already had to defend the new Pope in front of two co-workers, one of whom suggested that he was a Nazi who was going to hurt the Church. And that was the Catholic co-worker.

  3. When I was on the pastoral council in my parish, I once had to prepare readings for a prayer service to precede our meeting. After a day-long, desperate scramble to come up with something — anything — I ended up choosing some excerpts from a book called “Introduction to Christianity.”
    One of the excerpts, if I recall correctly, read thusly: “In the crucified Christ those who believe see … what the meaning of being chosen is: not privilege or power for oneself, but service to others.” (2004 ed., p. 219; soon to be sold out at bookstores near you.) After the meeting, another member of the council approached me. He said he thought the reading was interesting, but added, with raised eyebrows: “I’m more of a Baltimore Catechism person, myself.”
    I think a lot of people are likely to be surprised by the Holy Father. His writing reflects a number of qualities that have yet to be known or appreciated in the wider world. These include utter intellectual honesty; a tight focus on scripture and tradition, and a care to distinguish them from non-essential elements of the faith; a deep personal humility; and an intense discipline in thought and speech, reflecting constant awareness of how unnecessary departures from the core of the faith might lead to confusion and detract from the cause of ecumenicism.
    I hope that those who are predisposed to put the Holy Father in their own ideological box will instead give him a chance, and take the time to understand him on his own terms. For the most part, that probably won’t happen right away, but I suppose it doesn’t matter. Over time, his words and deeds will speak for themselves, and I have great hope for what they will mean for our Church and our world.
    =B.

  4. In reference to the comment about the new pope being a Nazi: I think the choice of Ratzinger is brilliant in many ways. Besides all his noble qualities, his election is a great healing sign for the Germans, who still suffer greatly from the stigma of WWII. Truly the HOly Spirit works in wonderful ways. The time is right for a German pope.

  5. I’m definitely restarting my subscription to New Oxford Review now. Their take on Pope John Paul II was that he was an excellent pastor and teacher, but a shoddy administrator and enforcer of the faith. I look forward to their coverage of the papal election.

  7. Of course Eric’s right: every time I think of those pesky heretical “liberals”, the word Götterdämmerung, or something like that, immediately comes to mind.
    But anyway, it makes sense that the conclave chose Cardinal Ratzinger — and by a 2/3 majority, of course. If I may speculate: many of the cardinals thought of him as a first choice. Some probably dismissed the concern about his age, and won over more worried colleagues who had fallen back upon other names.

  9. Revenge Fantasies:
    Like this one, perhaps: the new pope whispers orders in German to the Swiss Guard to detain Cardinal Mahoney.
    But seriously folks….The writings of Cardinal Ratzinger greatly influenced my return to the Roman church a few years ago. And today, I really feel like God loves me!
    (I’ll bet RC is already drafting a letter to the new pope to save Holy Trinity German Church in Boston. No?)

  11. Two thoughts:
    Benedict seems to be a bit more pessimistic than JPG was about the possibilities for a re-evangelized Europe.
    The critical question is how will Benedict’s episcopal appointments differ from JPG’s appointments. Will he appoint men who have more stomach for confrontation?

  15. We want a PURGE….!!!!!!!!!
    We want our new PANZERKardinal to form up his troops in an iron phalanx, and initiate an ideological blitzkrieg across modern Europe.
    And as for the liberals, the holdouts from Vatican II, NO liebensraun for them within the Church. Get rid of ’em.
    I feel better already.
    Electing RATZINGER……!!!!!!!!!! WHAT AN IN YOUR FACE SELECTION. None of us could name a single more “controversial” Cardinal in the Church over the last 75 years, AND YET HE WAS SELECTED.
    Good God. It’s akin to selecting Jessie Helms President.

  18. We Have a Pope

    WHITE SMOKE billowed out from a stovepipe on the roof of the Sistine Chapel and bells pealed across Rome Tuesday evening, as word spread that a new pope has been elected to lead the one billion faithful of the Roman…

  21. Catholic Light,
    You are receiving credit (?) for bad Latin in AOL. The expression is “habemus papam,” not “habamus papam.” Either “habemus” (we have) or “habeamus” (let us have), but definitely not “habamus.” Latin that is not.
    You should correct the expression stat (short for “statim,” which means “immediately” in Latin.

  22. Has anyone forgotten that as a youth – this Pope WAS in the Nazi Youth, and was a gunner who was placed at a factory run by Jewish prisoners? I know after that he defected and then was a POW, etc., blah, blah, blah – but the horrors he was involved in…interesting choice, and very controversial. Guess this is real proof there is a God who will forgive any sin. Just what the Catholic Church needed was someone even MORE conservative. The world is progressive, and the church should at least attempt to evolve in some way. There would be so many more youths involved in the congregation, and would bring so many more into it’s folds. Best of luck in the Catholic Church and their new leader.

  23. Your co-worker had the Nazi part right.
    Either the Holy Spirit has abandoned the Catholic Church or the cardinals are the biggest bunch of self-serving idiots in the world.

  24. I think the biggest problem we’re going to have over the next few weeks is correcting the misinformation, rumours, and half-truths that are already spreading like wildfire about the Holy Father. It’ll be like whack-a-mole.
    Like the above comments – Ratzinger was never in the Nazi party, and wasn’t involved in any horrors. School officials registered him with the Hitler Youth in 1941, when he was fourteen, and he attended a few meetings – just a few, mind – before he stopped going. This was despite the fact that attendance was mandatory by law. In Nazi Germany. You know, where you had to do what you were told?
    I have a feeling he’s going to be a good pope, and that he may surprise his doubters. Some of them, anyway.

  25. Jeanne, you had the most important word: SELF; it seems the new pope was picked for reasons unknown, almost a slap in the face for what the church stands for. I wonder how he acclaimed to his position, with his background. This explains the “HappyExCatholic” and why I left. Too many doctrines are self-serving and hypocritical. I KNEW they would never pick the black elect from Nigeria – what a step forward that would have been for the Catholic Church! What a great time to shed light on a country that’s being ravaged by brutality and such a fierce internal war – almost forgotten because of the Iraqi tragedy we are now involved in.

  26. My comment had nothing to do with Ratzinger’s past, everything to do with NOW! The Catholic Church. You know, where you have to do what you are told!

  27. Instead of making excuses or avoiding the new Pope’s background, the Church should use it to their advantage to teach forgiveness and acceptance. Just because he’s been made POPE doesn’t make him PERFECT. He is a man, who had a childhood – and he’s had problems and mistakes in his life like everyone else. Why make excuses, or say the things documented are false statements? His brother was on television talking about their childhood and the history with the Nazi background. Ignoring horrific issues, and brushing them under the rug has put the Catholic Church where it stands in so many people’s minds, and into the courts. Not stable, trustworthy, or accepting. One of the reasons several have left Catholicism for more warm and open congregations. Very sad, excuses are both expected…..and accepted by those with rose-colored glasses.

  28. Jeannne and HappyExCatholic, I hesitate to engage you in an intellectual dialogue when your difficulties with the Church are obviously not primarily intellectual. I’m not sure such a dialogue would be helpful to you, but since dialogue is all I can offer, here goes:
    Jeanne, Cardinal Ratzinger was forced to enroll in the Hitler Youth as a young man. The Jerusalem Post — not a papal mouthpiece — had this to say in their editorial today called “Ratzinger a Nazi? Don’t believe it”:

    As prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger played an instrumental role in the Vatican’s revolutionary reconciliation with the Jews under John Paul II. He personally prepared Memory and Reconciliation, the 2000 document outlining the church’s historical “errors” in its treatment of Jews. And as president of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, Ratzinger oversaw the preparation of The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible, a milestone theological explanation for the Jews’ rejection of Jesus.

    If that’s theological anti-Semitism, then we should only be so lucky to “suffer” more of the same.

    I also take issue with your charge that the cardinals were being “self-serving” by choosing as they did. If anything, it would have served their interests better to select the genial, accommodating liberal pope that inhabits secularists’ imaginations.
    HappyExCatholic, it’s telling that you would come to Catholic Light to deliver mini-lectures about what’s good for the Faith. You are welcome here anytime, but you are not welcome to slander anyone, least of all the Holy Father. He did not cover up anything he did in his past, or deny anything. He stated what happened plainly and forthrightly, and there’s simply nothing in his past that warrants suspicion.
    It’s also telling that you say “The world is progressive.” Maybe your world is; I don’t know where you live. But the world at large is not. Africa isn’t, nor the Middle East. India and China are not, and that’s a third of the world’s population right there. Nor is Latin America, or most of Asia.
    There are pockets of what you call “progessive” people in all those regions, but by and large, they have not signed on to the modern, liberal, secularist project. So basically you’re talking about white Western elites with college educations — which is, what, maybe one percent of the world’s population? That’s a rather narrow perspective.
    I have another word for what you call “progressive”: it’s “decadence.” The people who embrace it are not building a more just and prosperous society. The main objectives are to simultaneously remove any stigma against practically any sexual activity, and get the state to pay for life’s necessities. This has resulted, in the “progressive” societies of Western Europe, in the declining birthrates that is dooming their own existence. It’s an unsustainable societal model, and it’s collapsing as we speak.
    How is that progress, exactly?

  29. LOL The black elect “happyexcatholic” mentions is Cardinal Arinze from Nigeria. Here is an excerpt of his speech at Georgetown.
    “in many parts of the world, the family is under siege” as a result of what he called “an anti-life mentality [that can be seen] in contraception, abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia.” Instead of being honored, the family is “scorned and banalized by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions, and cut in two by divorce.”
    Well, that’s a very Catholic message one might expect from a Catholic cardinal. But it proved too much for many in the audience. Teresa Sanders, a professor of theology, left the stage during Arinze’s remarks. Seventy other faculty members signed a letter to the dean protesting what one of them called Arinze’s “wildly inappropriate” remarks. Really? As a result, the dean apologized for the Cardinal’s remarks and the “hurt” they caused.” http://www.townhall.com/columnists/chuckcolson/printcc20030604.shtml
    It seems people are just trying to make this a racial issue, since both men are almost identical on MORAL issues. They are truly men of God.

  30. I SUGGEST WE ALL JOIN “CALL TO ACTION” THE MONEY SPENT ON ALL THOSE GARMENTS, THE MONEY SPENT FOR TRAVEL, ETC.,ETC.,ETC., COULD HAVE HELPED THE POOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  31. I SUGGEST WE ALL JOIN “CALL TO ACTION” THE MONEY SPENT ON ALL THOSE GARMENTS, THE MONEY SPENT FOR TRAVEL, ETC.,ETC.,ETC., COULD HAVE HELPED THE POOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  32. My point about the Church was not a racial issue, it is about the Church and it’s emotion and compassion to the world. A perfect example of the unattached way alot of the members of the hierarchy handled and is handling the MANY abuse cases that have been coming forward. How many priests have just been moved to other congregations to just “not rock” the Catholic boat? What those men did was not only a sin, but a crime, and it’s been overlooked by many, not just in the US, and documented. Casting them from the church, that is not a punishment. Only a few have gone to jail, or given a punishment that will help their victims with closure.
    Also, as far as Cardinal Ratzinger’s part in the Hitler Youth, once again, I stated, that that part of his life can be used to help show acceptance, forgiveness, and compassion. I’m sure he’s seen sights unimaginable to many. If by saying he was part of Hitler’s Youth, or by saying he’s not perfect, is slandering him, then you are choosing not to accept that he is a human being. No man can live a life without some regret, some sin, some disgrace. That makes him human. He had a life before the priesthood, and that could/can involve things that may not be acceptable to the Church. In saying that, I believe he can use his past as a vessel, to help others by his experiences. I did not come up with the “Nazi” information by a “Papal mouthpiece”, Pope Benedict’s brother had given 2 different interviews on 2 different news stations and gave that information. He, too, is a man of God, and he wasn’t slandering his brother. He said, which I’ve been trying to point out, that this past is just one of the reasons that may make his brother a very successful Pope. Because after that experience with Germany’s government, Pope Benedict turned heavily into the church, which is why he is the man he is today, and THAT is commendable, and shows that he is human, with a great respect for human life.
    In saying that Cardinal Arinze would be a progressive choice for the Catholic church, you are interpeting my meaning of “progressive”. By being from Nigeria, Cardinal Arinze could have brought to light the horrendous actions that are occuring in his country regularly, and are increasing in both their frequency and brutality. Maybe if I had not mentioned the fact that he is black then you would understand, I am NOT making it a racial issue, I believe choosing him would have been very beneficial to his country, not because he is black, but because he’s from a country ravaged by brutality. Just as people now are learning alot about Pope Benedict and his background, they would have been doing the same with Cardinal Arzine, hence, shining a light on that developing country and the challenges they are facing.
    Both men are controversial choices, and both have written and said clearly controversial issues, and have also took stands regarding their interpretation of faith that have been controversial also.. I have read several things that Pope Benedict has written, and he truly has shown that he is a dedicated man, focusing his life to spread the word of God.

  33. Whenever I see or hear people talking about being “progressive”, I think of that quote by C. S. Lewis: “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” I think Pope Benedict XVI’s election is most timely–there has been far too much straying off the right road, under the guise of “progressive” thinking.

  34. i hope we give this man a chance at being great! he “looks nice” and i think he has been w/ the church 4 too many years to not be a viable catholic! i really hope this is a good decision! i do believe this is!

  35. “Progressive 69-YO” writes with an astonishing lack of self-awareness (cf. John 12:4-5):
    I SUGGEST WE ALL JOIN “CALL TO ACTION” THE MONEY SPENT ON ALL THOSE GARMENTS, THE MONEY SPENT FOR TRAVEL, ETC.,ETC.,ETC., COULD HAVE HELPED THE POOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Hey, all the money spent on “Call to Action” conferences could be spent on the poor!

  37. By the way, the world did get a nice, kind man. He’s very open to dialogue.
    In matters of faith, there can be dialogue to advance mutual understanding; but there cannot be negotiation that would treat the contents of faith as the object of trading: as subject to man’s will.

  38. +J.M.J+
    The more talk I hear about the Pontiff formerly known as Joseph Ratzinger, the more I discern a pattern.
    Those who don’t know him tend to despise him, thinking him to be an authoritarian harda$$ who will oppress women and bring back the Spanish Inquisition.
    Those who do know him personally, OTOH, say he is a gentle, humble, Christlike soul, very knowledgable and scholarly yet down-to-earth and likeable.
    Hmmm, who to believe, who to believe…?
    To those who have already made up their minds that they hate Pope Benedict XVI, and who will not change their minds, all I can say is, it’s your loss.
    In Jesu et Maria,

  39. Thanks, Rosemarie. Why trust a pundit who has never met the man, and has read little or nothing he has written, when there are three book-length interviews out there with the Holy Father which he gave as a cardinal?
    In one, “Salt of the the Earth,” Ratzinger speaks with a professed former Catholic, and answers all sorts of questions from stuff about his past (including the Hitler Youth thing) to contraception and women’s ordination. If you’re serious about understanding the new pope, this is essential reading. If you’re not, well . . . it’s easier just to go along with the media stereotype.

  40. One question that I believe draws alot of skeptical glances at the new Pope is the way he is handling the abuse crises that are almost a regular charge now againsts priests. The public wants to know there is someone who will help victims and come to their aid, not brush allegations under the rug like nothing ever happened. That’s been a continual frustration for victims for years.
    Hidden Abuse, 50 Years Ago
    The alleged victims say the Vatican knew of the allegations against Father Marcial Maciel and chose not to pursue them.
    In fact, the pope has continued to praise 82-year-old Maciel, a Mexico native, as an effective leader of Catholic youth, despite detailed allegations sent to the Vatican four years ago saying the man was also a long-time pedophile.
    Maciel denies the charges and said the men made them up only after leaving the Legion of Christ.
    Maciel is the founder of the little-known but well-connected and well-financed Legion of Christ which has raised millions of dollars for the Church. Operating in the United States and 19 other countries, the Legion of Christ recruits boys as young as 10 years old to leave their families and follow a rigorous course of study to become priests.
    “I think Father Maciel is one of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church today and also arguably the most mysterious,” said Jason Berry, author of Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children.
    Maciel is alleged to have molested some of the young men under his control, some 50 years ago, at the well-manicured seminary and headquarters of the Legion of Christ, a few miles from the Vatican. It is hidden behind high walls and a steel gate that warns of a watch dog inside.
    ………….
    The accusers say Vatican-based Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who heads the Vatican office to safeguard the faith and the morals of the church, quietly made the lawsuit go away and shelved it. There was no investigation and the accusers weren’t asked a single question or asked for a statement.
    (Just prior to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger being elected Pope Benedict XVI)
    He was appointed by the pope to investigate the entire abuse scandal in the church in recent days. But when approached by ABCNEWS in Rome last week with questions of allegations against Maciel, Ratzinger became visibly upset and actually slapped this reporter’s hand.
    (Slapped his hand??????????????)
    “Come to me when the moment is given,” Ratzinger told ABCNEWS, “not yet.”
    I hope that the new Pontiff will explore these cases and all the others that have come forward with care and understanding, and show the world he is absolutely going to investigate any claim of abuse without question. Setting an example by taking claims seriously and with compassion will have the world looking at the new Pope with respect and admiration.
    He has made several comments regarding abuse that have been quite controversial, now is the time to clear controversy and show that he is truly a man of God, with heartfelt attention to the allegations that are tearing apart so many Catholics.
    Abuse in any form cannot be ignored.

  41. One question that I believe draws alot of skeptical glances at the new Pope is the way he is handling the abuse crises that are almost a regular charge now againsts priests. The public wants to know there is someone who will help victims and come to their aid, not brush allegations under the rug like nothing ever happened. That’s been a continual frustration for victims for years.
    Hidden Abuse, 50 Years Ago
    The alleged victims say the Vatican knew of the allegations against Father Marcial Maciel and chose not to pursue them.
    In fact, the pope has continued to praise 82-year-old Maciel, a Mexico native, as an effective leader of Catholic youth, despite detailed allegations sent to the Vatican four years ago saying the man was also a long-time pedophile.
    Maciel denies the charges and said the men made them up only after leaving the Legion of Christ.
    Maciel is the founder of the little-known but well-connected and well-financed Legion of Christ which has raised millions of dollars for the Church. Operating in the United States and 19 other countries, the Legion of Christ recruits boys as young as 10 years old to leave their families and follow a rigorous course of study to become priests.
    “I think Father Maciel is one of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church today and also arguably the most mysterious,” said Jason Berry, author of Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children.
    Maciel is alleged to have molested some of the young men under his control, some 50 years ago, at the well-manicured seminary and headquarters of the Legion of Christ, a few miles from the Vatican. It is hidden behind high walls and a steel gate that warns of a watch dog inside.
    ………….
    The accusers say Vatican-based Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who heads the Vatican office to safeguard the faith and the morals of the church, quietly made the lawsuit go away and shelved it. There was no investigation and the accusers weren’t asked a single question or asked for a statement.
    (Just prior to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger being elected Pope Benedict XVI)
    He was appointed by the pope to investigate the entire abuse scandal in the church in recent days. But when approached by ABCNEWS in Rome last week with questions of allegations against Maciel, Ratzinger became visibly upset and actually slapped this reporter’s hand.
    (Slapped his hand??????????????)
    “Come to me when the moment is given,” Ratzinger told ABCNEWS, “not yet.”
    I hope that the new Pontiff will explore these cases and all the others that have come forward with care and understanding, and show the world he is absolutely going to investigate any claim of abuse without question. Setting an example by taking claims seriously and with compassion will have the world looking at the new Pope with respect and admiration.
    He has made several comments regarding abuse that have been quite controversial, now is the time to clear controversy and show that he is truly a man of God, with heartfelt attention to the allegations that are tearing apart so many Catholics.
    Abuse in any form cannot be ignored.

  42. One question that I believe draws alot of skeptical glances at the new Pope is the way he is handling the abuse crises that are almost a regular charge now againsts priests. The public wants to know there is someone who will help victims and come to their aid, not brush allegations under the rug like nothing ever happened. That’s been a continual frustration for victims for years.
    Hidden Abuse, 50 Years Ago
    The alleged victims say the Vatican knew of the allegations against Father Marcial Maciel and chose not to pursue them.
    In fact, the pope has continued to praise 82-year-old Maciel, a Mexico native, as an effective leader of Catholic youth, despite detailed allegations sent to the Vatican four years ago saying the man was also a long-time pedophile.
    Maciel denies the charges and said the men made them up only after leaving the Legion of Christ.
    Maciel is the founder of the little-known but well-connected and well-financed Legion of Christ which has raised millions of dollars for the Church. Operating in the United States and 19 other countries, the Legion of Christ recruits boys as young as 10 years old to leave their families and follow a rigorous course of study to become priests.
    “I think Father Maciel is one of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church today and also arguably the most mysterious,” said Jason Berry, author of Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children.
    Maciel is alleged to have molested some of the young men under his control, some 50 years ago, at the well-manicured seminary and headquarters of the Legion of Christ, a few miles from the Vatican. It is hidden behind high walls and a steel gate that warns of a watch dog inside.
    ………….
    The accusers say Vatican-based Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who heads the Vatican office to safeguard the faith and the morals of the church, quietly made the lawsuit go away and shelved it. There was no investigation and the accusers weren’t asked a single question or asked for a statement.
    (Just prior to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger being elected Pope Benedict XVI)
    He was appointed by the pope to investigate the entire abuse scandal in the church in recent days. But when approached by ABCNEWS in Rome last week with questions of allegations against Maciel, Ratzinger became visibly upset and actually slapped this reporter’s hand.
    (Slapped his hand??????????????)
    “Come to me when the moment is given,” Ratzinger told ABCNEWS, “not yet.”
    I hope that the new Pontiff will explore these cases and all the others that have come forward with care and understanding, and show the world he is absolutely going to investigate any claim of abuse without question. Setting an example by taking claims seriously and with compassion will have the world looking at the new Pope with respect and admiration.
    He has made several comments regarding abuse that have been quite controversial, now is the time to clear controversy and show that he is truly a man of God, with heartfelt attention to the allegations that are tearing apart so many Catholics.
    Abuse in any form cannot be ignored.

  44. Hi, Ex. I have hope that the new Pope will show some zeal in this area. On Good Friday this year he said: “How much filth there is in the Church, even among those who, in the priesthood, should belong entirely to Him.”

  45. Happy, I welcome your judicious comment — and if I read you correctly, you can see that abuse allegations must be treated seriously, but because of the potential damage to the accused’s reputation, they must also be wary of smearing an innocent man.
    You may be interested to know that presumption of innocence was a feature of the papal Inquisition.

  47. One of my concerns of the abuse allegations is that they are treated seriously, and with fairness to both the accuser(s) and the accused. The statement made on Good Friday shows that the new Pontiff has every intention of taking all allegations seriously and having them investigated thoroughly. By stating,”…even among those, in the priesthood, who should belong entirely to him,” I believe he’s showing that it may be “open season” so to speak, on any and all abusers. General opinion is that accused priests have been able to “hide” within the folds of the Church. I hadn’t read that statement, RC, and it’s telling of Pope Benedict’s dedication. Although controversial, he seems just the man to stand strong behind such a statement.

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