Thursday, April 21, 2005
Papal Pointers
The amount of ink and number of electrons that has been spent on analysis of the recent papal election is, I imagine, to be expected. What is not; however, is how absolutely vile so much of it has been. I'll be linking to some of the best (worst?) of it, but first a comment.
I am not sure I had any idea how many people had rejected altogether the idea of authoritative knowledge. As people have criticized the selection, one theme has been constant -- they act as if the church can change its mind about some issue because of popularity, or general acceptance, or just because more people want them to change it than do not. The fact that a secularist would disagree with the church I understand, but the fact that they would expect the church to act like themselves I do not.
While those critics may not choose to put themselves under the authority of Scripture or confessions or encyclicals, certainly they can recognize that many of us do? Yet they seem to expect the church to simply set aside 2 millenia (6 if you count the Jewish groundwork) of tradition, teaching, and wisdom as if it was meaningless. I'm the smartest guy I know and even I don't have that level of hubris.
Well, on to the links. The most notorious accusation is. of course, that the new Pope is a Nazi. The loudest such accuser was the Sunday Times of London. The Hedgehog Report links to the accusation several places. The charge is refuted by The Jerusalem Post and Cheat-Seeking Missles.
Hugh Hewitt links to several hit pieces on the new guy and The Guardian describes reactions as "mixed." Gee, ya think when the guy is accused of being a nazi? My second favorite link is Holy Coast who wonders what effect the newly elected Pope will have on pro-choice Dems.
And finally, last night's Larry King. Check this out from Paul Wilkes of Beliefnet.com:
Pray -- then please, pray again.
I am not sure I had any idea how many people had rejected altogether the idea of authoritative knowledge. As people have criticized the selection, one theme has been constant -- they act as if the church can change its mind about some issue because of popularity, or general acceptance, or just because more people want them to change it than do not. The fact that a secularist would disagree with the church I understand, but the fact that they would expect the church to act like themselves I do not.
While those critics may not choose to put themselves under the authority of Scripture or confessions or encyclicals, certainly they can recognize that many of us do? Yet they seem to expect the church to simply set aside 2 millenia (6 if you count the Jewish groundwork) of tradition, teaching, and wisdom as if it was meaningless. I'm the smartest guy I know and even I don't have that level of hubris.
Well, on to the links. The most notorious accusation is. of course, that the new Pope is a Nazi. The loudest such accuser was the Sunday Times of London. The Hedgehog Report links to the accusation several places. The charge is refuted by The Jerusalem Post and Cheat-Seeking Missles.
Hugh Hewitt links to several hit pieces on the new guy and The Guardian describes reactions as "mixed." Gee, ya think when the guy is accused of being a nazi? My second favorite link is Holy Coast who wonders what effect the newly elected Pope will have on pro-choice Dems.
And finally, last night's Larry King. Check this out from Paul Wilkes of Beliefnet.com:
Larry, that this was a real crisis of imagination on the part of the cardinals. We had talked so much during the week about third world collegiality, a new voice for the church. And really, what the cardinals did, they went right back to the same old, same old. And this is the man that has been kind of the grim reaper in the Catholic Church and been this very strict guy on doctrine and liturgy.Same old, same old? Of course now I get it -- the omniscient, unchanging God of the universe is boring. Why didn't I think of that before? But then I think most Europeans have thought of that and look where it's gotten them.
Pray -- then please, pray again.
