Bells rang out in St. Peter's Square Tuesday as faithful all over the world rejoiced in the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as the 265th Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Not surprisingly, the College of Cardinals chose an elderly, conservative European, who is rumored to be a \transitional pope,"" as the new leader.
But what conservative doctrinal changes will occur in this interesting time of uncertainty? This self-described ""humble worker in the vineyard of God"" makes for sour Eucharistic wine for liberal Catholics.
Those in the Catholic Church who grew exhausted from the orthodoxy of the former pope must wait even longer for the possibility of liberal reform. Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was one of the most notoriously conservative Vatican officials under John Paul II-so strict that he gained the nickname ""Cardinal No."" Orthodox to the core, this new Pope could divide the bonds that his predecessor, the ""Great Uniter"" created.
Under John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger was the top theological advisor, staunchly declaring that the only true religion is the Catholic faith. As the head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, he refused to even call Protestant denominations sister churches, branding them as ""morally deficient."" Ratzinger was ""the enforcer of faith"" as he managed the part of the Vatican bureaucracy that at one time ran the Roman Inquisition. Appropriately so, for he has proclaimed that non-Christians are on a degenerative moral path.
Ratzinger also said the church sex-abuse scandal in the United States was created by the media, completely disregarding the healing process of victims as well as the need to keep American Catholics faithful in the wake of the trying times. On parallel with most of the leadership of the Vatican, he is vehemently opposed to gay marriage, the ordination of women and marriage in the priesthood.
Showing a lack of concern for the downtrodden but unwavering support of authority, Ratzinger also discouraged Latin American bishops from preaching about liberation to the oppressed poor.
Yet, many people hail this man as a great successor. ""He will be an excellent father of the church,"" a Catholic authority told CNN on Tuesday. ""He will reign in love.""
The question is, love for whom? The new 78-year-old pontiff lacks the charisma to be the comforting shepherd that his predecessor was. Most of his public comments thus far have been messages of scorn rather than words of hope, forgiveness and acceptance. With such an unyielding vision for what he views as the perfect church, Ratzinger's policies will face great opposition worldwide.
Working with the vastly different cultures that follow the Catholic faith will prove a hurdle for Pope Benedict XVI. Attacking American liberalism, the former cardinal scolded Catholic pro-choice politicians, declaring they were not fit to receive communion. This decree was blatant disrespect for the fast-disappearing American ideal of separation between religion and politics.
Ratzinger has the potential of clashing with African bishops who are faced with the AIDS crisis over the use of birth control. The use of condoms, though instrumental in preventing disease and saving lives in the HIV epidemic, is still viewed as a sin by the Catholic Church and discouraged by the papal authority.
With his archaic policies, the choice of a new pope that could unite the world, especially the youth, could not have been farther from that of Ratzinger. Young people respond to vitality, warmth and open-mindedness, not cold, hard, outdated doctrine.
The leader of the church should represent the majority of its worshippers. Therefore, the logical option would have been to elect a pope from a Latin American country such as Cardinal Hummes of Brazil or Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina. From Africa, Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, known for his involvement in inter-faith dialogues, was an outstanding example of someone able to unite people. However, the Catholic Church is still the traditional institution that it has always been, and has once again pushed aside the logic of international savvy to follow with convention and custom.
Though status quo is synonymous with the Vatican, left-leaning Catholics remain waiting through another pope's reign in hope for the day when they might see real changes made within the church. For now, may wisdom guide Pope Benedict XVI, and may progressiveness guide his successors.
opinion@dailycardinal.com
