HABEMUS PAPAM!

[Proud Eagle]

BENEDICT XVI

 

19 April 2005

 

 

 

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;

habemus Papam:

 

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,

Dominum Josephum

Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Ratzinger

qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictum XVI

 

 

 

 

 

Urbi et Orbi Blessing

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

 

after our great Pope, John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard.

 

I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools, and I especially trust in your prayers.

 

In the joy of the resurrected Lord, trustful of his permanent help, we go ahead, sure that God will help. And Mary, his most beloved Mother, stands on our side. Thank you.

 

 

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/elezione/biografia_en.html

 

[Eamonn]

Let us pray for our Sovereign Pontiff Benedict XVI.

The Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. Amen.

www.NewAdvent.org

Eamonn

 

 

 

 

[schleining]

Amen.

 

I am pleased to see the secessor of Peter via John Paul II is a stead fast conservative within the Church. Now more than ever we need that in the leadership. To continue the fantastic work of most Holiness John Paul II.

 

As a loyal Son of the Mother Church I pray for her and our new Pontif.

 

Jerry

 

[Torveaux]

Deo Gracias.

 

 

[Prairie_Scouter]

Schleining,

I hope for success by the new Pope as well, but I have to say this is the one Cardinal I had hoped would NOT be elected. Everyone will have their opinions on this, of course. John Paul II did a very good job with young Catholics, but turning his back on Vatican II and the good work done there to move the Church forward did a great deal of damage, I think. I hope for the best.

[Backpacker]

Prairie

 

I agree with your statements. The only good thing about Ratzingers selection is that due to his advanced years his papacy will be short. As the number of Catholics leaving the Church continues to increase, the latest study shows that the number has gone from 40,000 to 60,000 a year half that number from the USA and Europe alone. In Latin America the numbers leaving are even more shocking due to a dramatic growth of evangelical churches. If this trend continues then it will not matter who is pope.

 

Benedict XVI will certainly have his hands full during his reign. Did you know that a poll done by Christianity Today magazine showed that while the largest Christian denomination in the world is Catholic, the second largest group were Ex-Catholics, larger than Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, etc. That shows that the Catholic Church has not done a very good job reaching out to the laity.

[Prairie_Scouter]

Backpacker,

That's a very interesting statistic. Thanks for passing that on.

 

I know that there were demonstrations in Chicago against what is perceived as the unfair treatment of women in the Catholic Church. And others have expressed strong feelings about marriage for priests and more participation by the laity. As I remember it from long ago, Vatican II was trying to open a dialog about these kinds of issues, with the hope of getting a satisfactory resolution at some point in the future.

 

These aren't discussions about changing the basic beliefs of the Catholic Church in regards to the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, or anything like that. Instead, these are more akin the rules about eating meat on Friday, I think, that is, rules created by the Church's ruling body. Staying true to the Church's roots doesn't mean that they have stay in the Dark Ages.

[OldGreyEagle]

Whoa there young lady, I see no reason for you to make such a flippant comment that the Catholic Church stays in the Dark Ages.

 

That is one of the most insulting comments I have read around here and beleive me, I have read a lot of them!

 

 

[Trevorum]

Methinks that didn't even register on the "Rooster Scale" ...

Actually, I thought it was a fairly mild opinion

[Prairie_Scouter]

OGE,

Young lady? Where did you get the idea that I'm a young lady?

 

Regards the "Dark Ages", I really meant no disrespect; my comment only referred to the idea that the Catholic Church's rules (not its dogma, mind you) tend to come from times that are "ancient" and sometimes from times that are "less enlightened" than we are supposed to me now. Isn't that more or less correct?

[Backpacker]

I agree with Trev's comment, Prairie's comment was milder than many that have been allowed. And yes Prairie you are correct in your summation even though some Catholics tend to ignore some of the Church's early history of Inquistion and Persecution. OGE if you want some interesting reading try the papacy of Julius X , it validates Prairies point concerning the origins of selling indulgences, simony, and immorality in the Vatican.

[dsteele]

I can't claim to speak for Old Grey Eagle, but I do think you should apologize.

 

I also, although I'm not Catholic, do think that Pope Benedict has not received a fair shake as Pope. He's only been Pope for a week or so and the press was immediately trying to predict his actions and thoughts.

 

If you truly believe that God is behind the choice (I know I do,) you shouldn't judge what he's done or attempt to guess what he will do. Just have faith and go with it when it unfolds.

 

Unc.

[blade1158]

What an interesting thread. Since the death of John Paul the Great I have been most fascinated by the number of non-Catholics who praised him and the number of Catholics who condemned him.

 

Backpacker,

the number of people leaving the Church says more about the people and less about the Church. It is not for the Catholic Church to change its doctrine to fit the whims of the people, to become morally malleable to conform to the latest trend. Rather, it is incumbent upon the members of the Church, if they seek to be obedient to God, to conform their behavior to the moral dictates of the Church. Truth is eternal, not transitory.

 

Praire,

I would encourage you to review the documents of the Second Vatican Council. These documents have been grossly misunderstood and even more grossly misinterpreted and misused since they were release in the early 1960's. Pope John Paul the Great didn't abandon Vatican II. On the contrary, he finally started to give Vatican II its proper interpretation and implementation.

 

Unc,

as a Catholic, I believe the selection of every new pope is guided by the Holy Spirit. You, though you state you aren't Catholic, state you believe the new pope's selection was guided by God. Wow. I've not encountered a whole lot of non-Catholics who think that and I appreciate your stating it.

[Backpacker]

Blade

 

There is a huge difference between being obedient to God and blindly following the human dictates of bishops and cardinals that are out of touch with their own people, and whose acts are not always inspired by God(ie:Cardinal Law et al). I suggest you read any reference on Pope Julius X and you will understand that not everything that happens in the Vatican is divine in nature, and then read about the pedophile cases in Boston, you will see that the moral dictates have changed over time. Blade, if the people desert the church then the church will cease to exsist, that was what the Reformation was all about and why the Council of Trent was called to respond as they tried to restore some credibility and remove the corruption that had crept into the Church.

[OldGreyEagle]

As a church going catholic and attendee of St Charles Borromeo Seminary in Lockport Illinois 1967-1970 I am well aware of the nature and history of the catholic church. The comment made, rivals to me, the following:

 

Why don't the Greek Orthodox get with the times and use the "real" calender, the rest of the christian world does.

 

Why do some of the Jewish faith still follow the Kosher laws, they have to be out of date.

 

Why cant the LDS chuch find a role for women in its Church, isnt it time

 

I find them all equally offensive