The Washington Post, with a column by R. Scott Appleby, has graced us all with yet another token of their concern. They are advising the Catholic Church how to select the next Pope! Awww! Isn't that just, well, special??? Kinda makes one wonder how the Roman Catholic Church managed to survive these two thousand years without the wisdom of the Washington Post to guide her paths!
He thinks it's time for an American pope. Appleby asserts that an American pope would not have been advisable at the last election eight years ago. Why? Because the rest of the world was "too resentful of America’s global footprint: its ostentatious wealth, its ubiquitous military presence and its saber-rattling, diplomacy-scorning president bent on prosecuting two unpopular wars. Big Brother hardly needed a partner in the Vatican."
Ah, but now that's changed. Barack HUSSEIN Obama, the Messiah Most Miserable, is now president. He has "softened America’s international image". (I might argue that "softened" is a bit of an understatement, but I would digress!). And who, oh who, is Appleby's choice? Cardinal Dolan!
You see, he "projects vigor and regular-guy charisma, making his unwavering support of Vatican orthodoxy on sexual ethics and other doctrinal matters more palatable to the broad Catholic middle." I suppose "regular-guy charisma" included that Al Smith Dinner, where Dolan allowed Obama his coveted photo-op right before the election and that groveling letter he wrote to Andrew Cuomo.
Appleby opines that "the church desperately needs an infusion of modernity" and "one who can get the creaky gears of the Vatican moving again, perhaps with the assistance of money and expertise from affluent and well-placed donors". In reality, the Church needs to have modernism purged from its institutions and its clergy. As for the "assistance of money", the apostles did quite nicely without buckets of money from Rome as they were commissioned and empowered by Jesus Christ Himself. These are not valid qualification for the selection of a pontiff.
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Journalists cannot quite comprehend that their uninformed, worldly, shortsighted opinions on this great matter are of absolutely no value or interest. There could be nothing less important than their views. This isn't a presidential campaign. Come to think of it, their opinions are of no value in that context either.
ReplyDeleteThe Holy Spirit, as He always has, will guide this effort-we have that promise. I feel that Dolan is not who we need right now, but God's will be done. We all need to pray.
ReplyDeleteTess208
Actually their opinions are quite valuable--usually as a "what NOT to do" tool. I don't claim to be in the know here, but I don't feel Cardinal Dolan is a good choice for Pope, and the fact that the Washington Post seems to think he is kind of confirms that opinion, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteI rolled my eyes when I saw that story and skipped it for the "Book World" section. Sorry, I'll stick with the "National Catholic Register" on events from the Vatican.
ReplyDeleteTo state the obvious, the Holy Spirit will point out who'll be the next Pope!
Of course, we should leave things to the Holy Spirit. Just the fact that the WaPo has picked Dolan shows that he is not quite the champion of orthodoxy that some would like to think he is. He did a great series that EWTN is airing again this year called "Saint Peter: Icon for Lent." However, he is even flawed in that, touting Centering Prayer as acceptable. Granted, he only mentions this as an aside in one of the shows, but as an "orthodox" bishop, he should know better. (See this website for more info: http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=51 .) And don't get me started on Canon 915!
ReplyDeletePersonally, my favorite choice for Pope would be Cardinal Raymond Burke or Cardinal Arinze, the latter of whom has stated in the past that he would do away with altar girls if he had his way. Plus, Burke is really great with Canon Law, and that is really needed in the Church today.
But as great as our Popes have been with regard to orthodoxy in recent years, the Holy Spirit could well raise someone up even better than they, who knows?!
-Dawn
Even better article on the dangers of centering prayer: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6337&CFID=40930279&CFTOKEN=14212342
ReplyDelete-Dawn
The NY Times quickly set the succession up as one between conservatives and progressives, "those who believe that the church can broaden its appeal in small but significant ways, like allowing divorced Catholics who remarry without an annulment to receive communion or loosening restrictions on condom use in an effort to prevent AIDS. There are no plausible candidates who would move on issues like ending celibacy for priests, or the ordination of women." The new pontiff would appropriately take the name, Prophylaxis I.
ReplyDelete