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April 21, 2005
A new Papal reign.
It was, I suppose, predictable that whoever got elected Pope would be immediately unpopular with which ever faction felt he did not represent "their" view of the Church's direction. Two things stand out with regard to the election of this particular Pope. First he is already 78, second he is recognised as the leading theologian of the Curia.
His election is a disappointment to those who wanted a Pope who was going to ditch the long held doctrines instantly, and hailed by those who want "no change." The simple answer is that these matters take time to resolve - and the Church is not going to change its stance overnight. This man has some very firmly held beliefs and it is unlikely that he will change tack now. What he may do is allow "closed door" discussions to begin in the Curia itself as a precursor to a wider debate in the World Church. His Church now has more adherents outside of Europe and North America than in those traditional areas. The wider congregations are not anywhere near the state of sophistication that we expect in the Developed World, and he must move slowly and carefully or risk setting in train an even more devastating set of attacks from the Islamic or Atheist worlds which are waiting to pounce.
His choice of name is interesting, Benedict XV was one of the greatest reformers of the Roman Church and the original Benedict of the Monastic fame was the greatest reformer of the age in his time. I suspect that this Pope may not produce fireworks but he may produce some surprises. Even if he does not, he will have prepared the ground for the next Pope.
We shall have to wait and see how the Holy Spirit moves him on this.
Posted by The Gray Monk at April 21, 2005 10:48 AM