Sunflower Blog

Catholic Expatriot

A new pope has been elected by the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. I prayed for a good Pope before I went to sleep last night. I was doubly saddened when I realized that the tears I shed upon hearing the announcement were not tears of joy. It doesn't make me proud to say this. I don't speak as a Catholic, though I was raised in the Church. The Catholic Church will continue to espouse doctrine that is out of step with the needs of its people. I was hoping for more. I guess I was expecting a miracle.

Sometime during my college studies of history, I realized that those who represent God on earth are only human, full of the frailties of earthly beings. My Catholic schooling from kindergarten until grade five, told me WHAT to think, not HOW to think. All these years later, there are no changes.

As far as the many expatriot Catholics, this Pope would rather have a smaller gathering of the truly faithful, rather than getting in step with what the 21st Century populations of the world want and need. Government, politics, and war will continue as they always have. It would seem that the United States may be the proving ground as to whether church and state can be separate. Our new Pope spoke against John Kerry. Abortion is a sin. The Pope's position is as stone. There is no negotiation when the word has been given.

As a Cardinal appointed by Pope John Paul some thirty odd years ago, Georg Ratzenburg served as a theological advisor to his predecessor, and has done much writing on the doctrine of theology. His contributions to the Vatican Counsel are vested in conservative thinking. At age 78, one assumes his reign will be relatively short. Let's hope that he can bring the peoples of the world together, rather than using his religiously political position to thicken the dust of theocracy, and the miriad divisions which tears people's apart.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. There will be no wide open arms to welcome women into the Catholic church as clergy. Similarly, the concept that each act of love-making should result in procreation is simply out of touch with the 60s saying of make love not war. The elder, the virtuous of nature, those above participating in the human act of creation will stay aloof, in their ivory basilicas, far from the porn movies and live sex chats. How can those people who place themselves above the passion of humanity dictate what they supposedly have never known? But this is the word of the Church, and THE WORD it will stay. People of personal conscience will find God where they always have, in the love of one for another.

The politics of Rome will remain the same. I only pray that in this man's earthly mission, God will give him the sense to speak words of peace and comfort.

By saying that other religions are "less," Pope Benedictine XVI is not opening a dialogue with his Muslim brothers and sisters on this earth. Neither is he welcoming those who chose a faith based on the traditions of Methodists and Baptists who worship the same God in a different manner. The church will continue their tradition of being blind to problems, in hopes that they'll go away of their own accord.

I still pray that this Pope will have a positive impact on humanity. The sanctity of life cannot be dictated from Rome. It is the teaching how we humans are the same, how good can come from struggles, and how we can best love our fellow man that a representative of God can spread peace. He'll be in my prayers. So will the conglomeration known as humanity. God bless us all.