New Pope
 

A new pope has been named:
Pope Benidict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany)

Boo! Boo! why why a hard-core conservative?? that's the last thing we need! boo!!! at least he's old so he cant live that long...

I was pleased to see that they have concluded the conclave. I watched the news last night and they did a little story about him, since he was the dean of the conclave.

I'm not catholic, but an advocate for adhering to doctrine, so this will be interesting to watch.

I am simply ECSTATIC Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope! He will be wonderful!! I can't wait to have the chance to meet him this August at World Youth Day!!

Sarah

P.S. Because this has to be said. . . .If you knew ANYTHING about the Catholic Faith you would KNOW that it is what secular society considers 'caonservative' and many of the items the secular world feels ought be changed about the Catholic Church, She does not have the power to change even if she wanted to!

I have a co-worker from the same town the new Pope is from. It will be interesting to get her views on him.

I'm not Catholic but I do have reservations about some of the things that I've heard in the media so far...like he doesn't seem to be very open minded about possible yet says he is for civil rights???

man, the tv station i was watching was listing a bunch of choices he had for his name, and i was so bummed he didn't choose "Pius XIII".
i now have to make a band by that name. it's too awesome.

This is the man who, as a cardinal, said that John Kerry and other abortion supporters should be denied Communion. I've heard he's made other radical statements but I haven't had as much time to look into them.

I'm not thrilled and he wasn't my first choice pope, but I'm not in charge of electing one.

Well you are NOT going to find a Pope that supports abortion or anything like that...

I really know nothing about Pope Benedict and i'm not Catholic, but I'm just glad we have a new Pope. I'm just hoping as good as John Paul II was...in regards to going out and touching so many lives.

I'm Catholic. I know that. There's a lot of other religious figures who don't say that Kerry voters should be excommunicated, though.

It doesn't seem that his ideas are very radical at all. Especially, not within the boundaries of Catholic doctrine.

To American Catholicism, they are. We've always been kind of a unique snowflake. I've also been raised as an extremely progressive and ecumenical Catholic. Of course doctrine shouldn't shift with the wind and most laity do expect the church to stand strong against moral relativism - but to me personally, Catholicism has never been about ostracizing those who don't have the moral backbone of Christ. It's about realizing that we're imperfect and striving to be better.

I'm actually very disturbed with some of his views on academic freedom at Catholic universities. I think that most Catholics today, let alone others, aren't familiar with what transpired at my own university, particularly with Daniel McGuire, with regards to this.

As Americans we've always been a unique kind of snowflake. With regards to the Catholic Faith, there is NOTHING that can be changed with regards to moral teachings. Support abortion (even by not doing anything to stop it) that is a sin. Support the death penalty or euthanasia, those are sins as well. etc.

On a side note, people who have been excommunicated CAN be welcomed back into the Church - and all offenses do not warrent excommunication.

Oh, and with regards to American 'Catholic' colleges and universities - to say you are Catholic and basically go against the teachings of the Church doesn't make any sense (I could tell you stories about my religious ed classes at St Norberts!!). If you are going to say you are Catholic then you need to BE Catholic (same with people) . . . .

Sarah

McGuire was a priest. He left the priesthood and married a nun.

And if they were both released from their vows then great. If not, then. . . .


I still stand behind my Catholic vs. "Catholic" university/college argument ;)