Criteria for Popes
I just noticed a line at Michelle Malkin's blog. (Again! Don't you just love her?) She references the conclave and (post announcement) she sites a few places with speculation. Included is the following:
Taking a look at the linked article reveals a quote from the Archbishop:
Clearly there is some truth to the statement that a black pope might make some inroads with the Third World... but is that the only way? Is that the prime focus of the Church? Will the German Pope serve fellow German Catholics to the exclusion of others?
The long and the short of my point: Is this a case of style over substance?
I suspect I stand with most Catholics... I don't want a black pope anymore than I want a white pope, an English pope, an Italian pope, an American pope, etc. I want a pope that will stand in the face of assaults against the Church... one that faces the recent scandal and provides a solution... one that represents the Chuch.
Will the members of the Church complain, like so many of my fellow whiney countrymen, who believe they can only be represented by someone who is just like them. Madonn', that's nonsense!
Then again, as I said, this might be more of a statement from the news editor and/or reporter than the Archbishop. I'm sure someone knows. ;)
Additional:
Power Line features a lovely little Reuters comment which doesn't seem to speak much for their objectivity. (It also features the "Universal Nazi Church" slur... the Power Line boys have a good write up on this, so read the whole post.)
Recently I spoke with MH from Our Word and Welcome to It... he made the profoundly simple yet reasonable statement that regardless of how different Pope Benedict XVI might be from us (spoken language, nationality, gender, age, etc.) he is in fact our pope and is here for us. MH makes a nice post regarding that subject as well... he says it better. :)
Archbishop Desmond Tutu wants a black pope; is pulling for Nigerian cardinal Francis Arinze.
Taking a look at the linked article reveals a quote from the Archbishop:
What was the first thing I wondered? Has the news editor or reporter made a bigger deal out of the Archbishop's comments than it is? Obviously, I don't know, but I hope so."A black pope could do more than break a colour barrier - he could facilitate a greater global understanding of a neglected part of our world: the so-called Third World," writes Archbishop Tutu.
He acknowledged the notion of a black pope was controversial, saying: "Most Christians have grown up with the historically inaccurate image of Jesus as Caucasian when, as a Semitic, he would have been a great deal more swarthy than our conventional pictures of him as white."
Clearly there is some truth to the statement that a black pope might make some inroads with the Third World... but is that the only way? Is that the prime focus of the Church? Will the German Pope serve fellow German Catholics to the exclusion of others?
The long and the short of my point: Is this a case of style over substance?
I suspect I stand with most Catholics... I don't want a black pope anymore than I want a white pope, an English pope, an Italian pope, an American pope, etc. I want a pope that will stand in the face of assaults against the Church... one that faces the recent scandal and provides a solution... one that represents the Chuch.
Will the members of the Church complain, like so many of my fellow whiney countrymen, who believe they can only be represented by someone who is just like them. Madonn', that's nonsense!
Then again, as I said, this might be more of a statement from the news editor and/or reporter than the Archbishop. I'm sure someone knows. ;)
Additional:
Power Line features a lovely little Reuters comment which doesn't seem to speak much for their objectivity. (It also features the "Universal Nazi Church" slur... the Power Line boys have a good write up on this, so read the whole post.)
Military honor guard enter the Buenos Aires' Cathedral past graffiti left by unknown assailants that reads: 'Universal Nazi Church' and 'Benedict addict XVI' on April 20, 2005. The choice of conservative German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the new Pope divides Latin America, a region where he battled leftist priests and whose poor and hungry often cannot afford to follow Roman Catholic doctrine. Joy was tempered by disappointment the new Pontiff was not from Latin America, home to about half the world's Catholics. REUTERS/Ricardo Abad-DyNAgain with the "only someone like me" philosophy. May I propose an interesting (yet telling) question? Are any of these folks actually Catholics? Sure, Archbishop Tutu qualifies ;) but I suspect the majority of the folks who state that the pope should have been from some other Human subgroup might not actually be Catholic.
Recently I spoke with MH from Our Word and Welcome to It... he made the profoundly simple yet reasonable statement that regardless of how different Pope Benedict XVI might be from us (spoken language, nationality, gender, age, etc.) he is in fact our pope and is here for us. MH makes a nice post regarding that subject as well... he says it better. :)
posted by Badda at
2:24:00 PM
