Tuesday, April 19, 2005
There Is A New Pope
His name in Benedict XVI. I listened to his first blessing on the radio this morning and was moved to tears, something amazing for this dyed-in-the-woool protestant. Don't know why, but I was.
This much I must say -- I loved the ancient and obscure ritual in the whole thing. As churches eject anything traditional on an almost daily basis, I loved that this was done the same way it has been done for centuries. There is a lot of wisdom in those centuries - wrongheadedness as well to be sure, but a lot of wisdom. We do ourselves no favors when we reject those centuries of wisdom - whether Roman or Orthodox, Presbyterian or Pentecostal.
This much I must say -- I loved the ancient and obscure ritual in the whole thing. As churches eject anything traditional on an almost daily basis, I loved that this was done the same way it has been done for centuries. There is a lot of wisdom in those centuries - wrongheadedness as well to be sure, but a lot of wisdom. We do ourselves no favors when we reject those centuries of wisdom - whether Roman or Orthodox, Presbyterian or Pentecostal.
