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April 20, 2005
Benedict XVI
I was surprised that Ratzinger was named pope, but do not have much emotional investment in it. He seems like a good choice in that he is against relativism and seems like a good pastor. My wife was meeting with a nun when the news was released and the nun did not seem to happy about it. I am still amazed at how so many people were surprised/disappointed that a bunch of cardinals elected a conservative Catholic to be pope (see this Hewitt post for some good examples). Lileks take of it sounds a lot like mine:
I have my doctrinal differences with the Catholic church as well; I understand the reasons for requiring priestly celibacy, but I dont agree with them. I dont agree with many Catholic positions on issues regarding sexuality. Growing up Lutheran, I was gently guided away from the clanging errancy of Maryolatry. Because I disagree with the Catholic Church on these and a few other matters, I am how do I put this? NOT CATHOLIC. Hence I am always amazed by people who want the church to accommodate their thoughts, their new beliefs, their precarious and ingenious rationales, instead of ripping themselves from the bosom and seeking a congregation that doesnt make them feel like a heretic banging thier head on Filaretes doors. To those who want profound change, consider an outsiders perspective: the Catholic Church is the National Review of religion. You may live long enough to see it become the Weekly Standard. In your dreams it might become the New Republic. But its never going to be the Nation. And if ever it does, it will have roughly the same subscriber base.
I have some of the same doctrine problems with Catholicism as Lileks, which is why I am also NOT CATHOLIC, but most of the changes I would make are never going to happen in my lifetime. The whole Mary thing, transubstantiation, infant baptism, priestly celibacy (in fact the whole priest thing in general), purgatory and indulgences, and probably some other theological issues as well if I think long enough about it. I do agree with some things about the Catholic Church like how it is set up, both in its calendar and in its leadership structure. Many Protestants churches could learn a lot from those two things.
Posted by Pete at April 20, 2005 06:13 PM
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