Five years ago today, I was enduring my second day of inpatient rehab following my spinal cord injury: hours of grueling physical and occupational rehabilitation during the day, followed by range of motion exercises in the evening. During my free time, what little there was, I watched the news. I remember watching the local news at 5:00 PM on Milwaukee’s WTMJ, then NBC’s Nightly News at 5:30 PM, and leaving WTMJ on for the 6:00 PM broadcast as well.
Pope John Paul II had just died and I, like Catholics the world over, mourned his death. John Paul was imperfect but I believed he embodied holiness on Earth. Well, as much as anyone who is a part of the white, male patriarchy is that is the Vatican can embody holiness and godliness, but you know what I mean. I had faith in Pope John Paul II. I knew that in his heart of hearts, he was trying to do what he believed was God’s work.
As I watched the funeral proceedings on TV and later held my breath with the crowds gathered, waiting for that decisive black smoke that would announce a new pope had been elected, I hoped against hope that this was a new day for the Church. I hoped the new pope would be from Latin America or Africa. I hoped the cardinals would choose someone who wasn’t a part of the Vatican bureaucracy and would help bring the Church’s mission back to social justice: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and helping the poor. In other words, I hoped they would elect someone who would do what Jesus would do.
My hopes were dashed. The cardinals, as we all know, elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a Vatican insider originally from Germany. He was said to be very conservative, but the conventional wisdom was that he was elderly and wouldn’t serve very long. I actually heard one papal pundit call him a “placeholder pope”. How much damage could Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, do?
Unfortunately, way too much. Benedict has railed against the use of condoms in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. The Vatican is actually investigating American nuns for, honestly, I’m not sure what. Having brains and using them? Then there’s the sex abuse crisis, both here in the U.S. and in Europe.
How much damage can this man do? When do we Catholics get our Church back?
It’s interesting you wrote “When do we Catholics get our Church back?” because those of us that believe we were jipped out of authentic Catholic formation (I’m early 40′s) would like to get our Catholic Church back from all the liberal infiltrators (i.e. liberal Bishops, liberal academia, etc.) that DO NOT authentically teach the Holy Catholic Faith as they are required to. Stop trying to get the church to change, because you never will. The Holy Spirit has protected the Church from teaching doctrinal error for over 2,000 years (even though we have wolves in sheeps clothing in the church, religious and lay people). You can continue to try and promote the pro-contraception, pro-abortion, homosexual agenda, which goes AGAINST authentic Catholic Church teaching, but you will not win. The gates of hell cannot fail against Jesus Christ and His One,Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church.
I doubt we will ever agree on reproductive rights, which do include access to contraception and abortion. Both of these things help reduce poverty, hunger and disease, both in the U.S. and around the world.
However, I would like to see the Catholic Church return to focusing more on feeding the hungry, ending poverty and caring for the sick and needy, rather than persecuting people for being gay or having an abortion.
Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for the response, Danine, but please stop professing yourself to be a Catholic, when you know clearly the Church’s teaching on these issues. The Catholic Church is the foremost organization that feed’s the hungry, assists the poor and cares for the sick and needy. The Catholic Church has taken Jesus’ commands seriously and continues to do the Works of Mercy universally. The Church does not persecute people for being gay or having abortions. There are those in the church who do not obey the church’s teaching regarding acting charitably towards these individuals, of course. The Church preaches God’s mercy and forgiveness first and foremost. Again, stop trying to change the church. Jesus Christ’s Church cannot and will not change. It’s those of us in the church (all of us being sinners) that need to change our hearts and obey Him and His Holy Church.