More Active Posts
Front Page
Lukewarm welcome
 |
 10 Comments |
Tomorrow marks the start of Pope Benedict’s visit to New York, but according to Newsweek’s Lisa Miller, American Roman Catholics aren’t all that excited about it. Why? Because Benedict “has done very little to win the hearts of his American flock at what may be the most critical moment in their history.”
Citing grim statistics and the past Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, Miller says what American Catholics want now “is to feel something, a catharsis, a connection to their tradition, a sense that their leaders see and hear how difficult it can be to be a Catholic in this imperfect and chaotic world.” But Miller says they won’t find that in Benedict:
The majority of American Catholics are not naive. They don’t actually believe that Benedict will overhaul church teachings on birth control, on the ordination of women or the celibate clergy–many of them don’t want him to. What they want, at the communion rail and in the person of their Holy Father, is the unity their church promises them, a sense of connectedness through God with all the other Catholics–indeed, all other people–in the world and in heaven. This is not a shallow or frivolous desire but an urgent one, and when it comes to Benedict, so far these Americans aren’t feeling it.
What do you think of Miller’s conclusions?
 |
Topic: WorldMagBlog |  |
Email a friend |
 |
Keywords: |  |
RSS 2.0 |
 |
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. |  |
Share this: |
Identity theft
Two things come to mind. One, that John Paul II is a tough act to follow, and two, it takes two to have a relationship. This is his first visit. I think they should give him a chance and wait to see what he has to say. I don’t know what they’ve heard from him in the past three years, but he’s a different person from John Paul, he’s more of a professor whereas JPII was more used to being “on stage,” if you will. Perhaps like the rest of us, American Catholics have to decide where their loyalties lie — in the secular world or with Jesus Christ.
Has anyone read Benedict’s book on Jesus Christ? I was thinking about getting it.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/131774/page/1 is perhaps a far more interesting read (no offense).
Miller seems to imply that the majority of American Catholics want Benedict to “overhaul church teachings on birth control, on the ordination of women or the celibate clergy,” and that what they want is the unity their church promises them, a sense of connectedness through multiculturalism.
This is not a shallow or frivolous desire but an urgent one, and when it comes to Benedict, so far these Americans aren’t feeling it.
Kudos to Benedict for not being blown about like a ship without a rudder.
Meh. I think they’re just lukewarm because he’s not John Paul. The enthusiastic receptions he got were partly a function of his long reign, and Benedict is still a newbie.
Thanks, Robert M, the Newsweek article is very interesting.
Isn’t it wonderful? We all want a superstar, and, instead, God gives us what we really need.
Wouldn’t mind if Benedict got a bit more biblical on the celibacy issue….I can only imagine how many scandals may have been averted if more priests were married (and likely straight), with no reason to go after men, boys, or others.
Don’t see such difficulties with birth control or female clergy, though.
And perhaps American Catholics need to “get with it” regarding their Pope. Is it only about “them” and not “him” or Christ?
Kennethos,
What do you mean by “Don’t see such difficulties with birth control or female clergy, though” ? I’m not quite sure I grasp what you’re saying.
The Catholic Church is what the Catholic Church is. Instead of whining and trying to make the Church into what they think it should be, these people should join a church that is already what they want. If they want liturgical worship along with birth control, abortion, gay rights and women priests, there is always the Episcopal Church (TEC) which already has all of them. It is mostly because TEC has these things that my husband and I left it.
I have always thought that if American Catholics don’t like what Rome is doing, they should either withhold their tithes (since American Catholics probably supply a large amount of Rome’s finances) or break away and form another church. Of course, since RC-ism has not followed biblical teaching for centuries, it really does not matter to me what Benedict or the American Catholics do, as long as they do not return to the practices of Torquemada and the Inquisition. (Said by a former Catholic.)
I think she’s wrong about Benedict and this trip will be very successful.