Mike’s take on the new pope
This is my official New Pope blog entry.
read on by clicking on …
I’m not Catholic. I’m from an area that is predominantly Protestant. Most of what I know about Catholism comes from films like “Caddy Shack” where the main character addressing his mother as “Mama” or when Sean Connery — a Scot — plays an Irish cop stereotype.
But my brother married a nice Catholic chick, and since our side was not all that religious while her side was, he thought it best to convert. We are all behind him 120 percent. We envy him too, because he gets to cross himself and the rest of us can’t.
Then there’s Michael C., one of Dad’s best friends. Also a Catholic, when he came to visit on the night before I was to fly over to Germany in ’97, he shook my had and pushed a Franklin and a rosary in my hand. The rosary still hang on my wall right over my desk.
So Catholics are alright in my book.
And as fate would have it, the new Pope is a local boy. Now, here is Saxony you don’t find too too many Catholics–unless they come from Bautzen and speak Sorbish. Our two most notable landmarks in Dresden, the Hofkirche and the Frauenkirche, were both built in light of serious denominational animosity: the former built more-or-less in secret after August converted to Catholism to become the king o’ Poland (he had to import craftsmen from Italy), and the latter shortly after–and very much so Saxon-Protestant tit-for-tat action (that church, with its huge stone dome being a veritable monument to architecture and Protestant can-do).
What most pisses us my German friends off is this story that Benedict was earlier a Nazi. And he’s a real hard-core conservative. As for the Nazi thing, I might point out that he was just in the HJ as a teen, deserted his anti-aircraft post without ever firing a single shot, and spent some time even in a POW camp. Dig. I’m pointing this out just to emphasize the fact that so many of my German friends raised the issue without actually being informed about it.
But it is at any rate beyond debate that the new Pope a very conservative cat be. And not knowing what to think of that, I asked my Catholic (and wealthy and very conservative) brother what he thinks. He let me quote him here under the condition of anonymity.
To: Seezen, (name withheld)
Subject: Your holy father is really none of my beeswax, but really...
Your holy father is really none of my beeswax, but really, are you
and (name withheld) happy with the white smoke?
my love to all, tell the dogs that I said they are goodboys, and remind
(my Godson) that I cover my mouth when I cough, say hi to (my other nephew) too,
David
--
An interesting question. I think the hardest part of religion is coming
to terms with the fact that membership in a denomination is not the same
thing as blind allegience to everything that its leaders' espouse. To
stand the test of time, I don't think one's religion can radically
evolve as certain issues change (I am not Anglican, by god). After all,
what is precious to a European Catholic may be very different to an
African or North American one, and to require rigid compliance with
anyone's beliefs would have the effect of alienating most everyone.
Naysayers would argue (probably rightly) that this attitude illuminates
the fallacy of modern Catholicism: if you disagree with the outward
manifestations of the faith (i.e. you are a condom-wearing, female
priest-ordaining, death-penalty/abortion-supporting liberal), you can't
be a "good" Catholic.
To have a "world" church, I have concluded that there are certain core
beliefs that are shared by all catholics; the rest is gravy (or not). I
think the church will change, but it can only do so credibly, if change
is slow and deliberate. To answer your question, I am not surprised by
the new pope, nor am I totally disappointed. I am more upset (and
affected in my daily life, mind you) by the election of "Dubya".
Benedict is a conservative man (I am sure your locals are happy!) but
also an old man. I have a feeling that he make few, if any, changes
before his papacy ends (5-10 years?). Maybe the next pope will be more
reformatory.
Thanks for asking about the dogs, etc. Boys are sick (as always) but
eager to see you again.
See you soon.
As you can see, he’s one of the Good Ones….
My comment: I have read that the Vatican has a saying: “follow a fat pope with a skinny pope.” That’s figurative, of course. It means let the pendulum swing, don’t let the pontificate go consecutively in one direction. While many leftist critics argue that the last pope’s legacy was to turn back just about everything that Vatican II established, John Paul did indeed cover some new ground: meeting with the Dalai Lama and setting foot in a synagoge, for example. And crass as it sounds, most insiders I have spoken with don’t envision this pope lasting more than Bush will. So in ten years we may very well have a black pope. I would love to see that.