I am a Catholic who doesn't agree with some of the church's doctrine. Ultimately, I understand that any church doctrine is derived from man's interpretation of the Bible. I went through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) to complete the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation because I was baptized Catholic but my parents didn't practice while I was growing up. I went to all kinds of different churches and chose to go with the Catholic church because I value the ritual and structure of mass as well as the meaning of the Eucharist to Catholics.
The nun and priest who ran my RCIA classes were pretty liberal, I'd say. When asked about these very controversial subjects, their reply was "You have to pray and discern what the proper thing to do is. It's between you and God". I was able to live with this answer and have clung to that. The priest also drew a big circle on a chalkboard with a dot in the middle. He said the dot in the middle represented being one with God. He drew dots all over the circle, some close to the middle and some further out. He said that we, as Catholics, like to think that we are the dot closest to the center, and that others are further out somewhere, but the truth is, until we get to Heaven, we won't really know. He embellised on the fact that all religions who believe in a higher power would be somewhere in that circle and ultimately have the same goal, being closest to the center.
While it would be nice to have a Pope who expressed this type of doctrine, I do see the Pope as a moral leader. I see the church as an appropriate institution to say "These are the rules based on our interpretation of the Bible". I cared enough to have my first marriage annulled through the church so I could marry in the church again. I haven't bothered doing that with my second marriage, because I will not marry again, so it's irrelevant. I'm ok with the Pope being conservative because I see the Pope as someone who is extreme. I think they have to be seen as very devout and Holy to get the job. I think that he's supposed to be the ideal and the extreme. I'm ok with him having strong opinions and being conservative. And, if his beliefs are as similar to JPIIs as I've read that they are, then at least he is consistent. Pro-life in all situations (abortion, death penalty, war), etc.
I'm not OK with government in this country being that way.
As far as the Hitler Youth issue, I read this interesting article, part of which I'll post here:
link
A Melbourne Jewish group has dismissed concerns about the new Pope's past as a member of the Hitler Youth.
Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Michael Lipshutz said Joseph Ratzinger's childhood should not be a focus.
"He was a mere boy at the time, let's look at what he has done in his adult life, not his childhood," Mr Lipshutz told theage.com.au this morning.
"There is no cause for concern about his actions as an adult.
"When he was a cardinal, he was John Paul II's right-hand man and John Paul II instigated great relations with the Jewish people."
Key Israeli and US Jewish lobby groups also welcomed the election of former German cardinal and noted there was no evidence he had committed any crimes while serving in the Hitler Youth.
Pope Benedict XVI has said he was an unwilling participant in the Hitler Youth movement during World War II, when membership became compulsory.
Dee
