As a young Roman Catholic who is knowledgeable about his faith, I believe it important to refute the overjoyed claims of some towards the election of Benedict XVI. Amid scandals among the ordained as well as the Church’s overwhelming decline as what many see now as an archaic institution, Benedict’s election serves to show that the Church is keeping its feet firmly planted in the past, and not moving forward to improve itself in the eyes of the rest of the world.
The former Cardinal Ratzinger’s positions on matters of both faith and politics are staunchly conservative and can be seen through his many duties and statements as a prominent Vatican official. As head of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, he has become a defendant of the Catholic Church’s hardline stances, and a bitter opponent to differing views on religious practice and philosophy. His literalist interpretation of Catholic doctrine will do nothing but alienate and confuse many Catholics who would like their religion without the moral burden and constant scrutiny of a “holier than thou art” figure.
Though many will argue that the former Pontiff John Paul II was just as conservative, he was still a charismatic leader whose presence would inspire followers to lead meaningful and compassionate lives.
Though a renowned scholar and theologian, Ratzinger is a more quiet figure who could not possibly flourish in the spotlight the way John Paul II could. Hopefully his time in the Papacy will help him to not reject and judge the current progressive movements of Catholicism that he currently sees as a “dictatorship of relativism,” but instead to embrace the views of others and make the Church a symbol of synergy and community in the religious world.
Matthew Novak
Pratt ’07
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