The Pope: Is Benedict Up to the Job?

Question

Pope Benedict has managed to antagonise two major world faiths within a few months.

He quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor's insult of the Prophet Mohammed.

He gave a long address at the site of the former concentration camp and failed to mention anti-semitism, and offered no apology - whether on behalf of his own country, Germany, or on behalf of the Catholic Church. In fact he managed to argue in a long theological exposition that the real victims of the Holocaust were God and Christianity.

This is a man who has long been famous for his bruising, ruthless condemnation of those he disagrees with.

This is a man with little sympathy or imagination for other religious faiths. Famously, the then Cardinal Ratzinger once referred to Buddhism as a form of masturbation for the mind.

If the Catholic church is to make a dramatic break with its triumphalist, bigoted past and is to contribute in any constructive way to an increasingly educated faithful, is this man up to it?

HE HAS THE EYES OF A KILLER!

In response to Lewis Ys anwer, first thank you for so much effort.

Second:

- not every Christian knows anti sematism is a bad thing. Take for example the recent anti semitic outburst by catholic Mel Gibson.

- your comparisons with Islam miss the point. We are looking at Benedicts actions, not those of assorted clergy of Islam.

- Although Benedict worked under JP 2 his actions show that he does not have JP 2s interest in building bridges with other faiths.

- Benedict is a very media savvy and intelligent man - he knew full well when he made the comment about the crusades that it would cause controversy - and he made it without the contextualisation and interpretation that his apologists now wish to give it.

- Benedict has the eyes of killer - am I right or am I right?

Answer 1

Yes, I think Pope Benedict XVI is up to the job to which he has been entrusted. Unlike others, I believe his statements at Regensburg were deliberate and appropriate. Like many others, I think his statements were taken out of context and misunderstood, possibly deliberately, as an excuse for political acts of violence by enemies of Christianity.

He cited an Emperor from hundreds of years ago, to point out the abuses that Islam had been doing at that time. That Emperor was in the context of when Islam was violently encroaching upon his Empire and suppressing Jews and Christians, much after the last Crusade. Unfortunately, Islam has not matured and transcended their propensity towards violence, and continue the same errors that have been lamented by reasonable peoples for centuries.

Catholics won't usually touch this issue, but I will, because I have studied the crusades quite a bit, and I am not a member of The Roman Catholic Church. The errors of the crusades were committed by Kings and Princes and Nobles. Those actions, especially of the 4th crusade, were NOT sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church, exceeded the authority granted, and widened the schism between Rome and Orthodox Christianity.

One of the reasons the Inquisition suppressed the Crusading Orders was to punish the Crusaders for exceeding their authority. Pope Benedict XVI's last official job was Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Of course he is very well acquainted with the Crusades and the errors and excesses of the long-ago past. My point is that The Church and Pope Benedict XVI reject actions of people who harm others.

There were three primary Inquisitions. The first was to suppress the Albigensian Heresy(Cathars and Bogomils), and maintain the Sanctity of the Church. The second was to suppress the militant crusading orders, especially the Knights Templar, and was instigated by Philip IV, king of France. The Spanish Inquisition was primarily a function of the Monarchy of Spain. Yes, bad things were done to the heretics, but that was 500 years ago, and The Church has expressed regret for the actions of men. Always remember that one cause for the Inquisitions was at the behest of Monarchs to maintain political stability, another is to protect the Church from being corrupted by heresy, as in the Albigensian Crusade. Pope Benedict XVI does speak good words, as his name would suggest.

The perception of Christianity and God was harmed by the Holocaust, as evidenced by your question. I would question your statement that the Pope characterized Christianity and God as "the real victims" of the Holocaust.

The Pope has no authority to speak for Germany, and is limited in his authority to speak for The Church. There is no need for the Pope to speak of anti-semitism, because every Christian knows it is a bad thing. His very presence at that site acknowledged his recognition of Holocaust as a bad thing.

I disagree with your statement that Pope Benedict XVI has little sympathy for other faiths. He was a close confidante of Pope John Paul II, who made serious efforts to reach out to other faiths.

As to the Church being bigoted, I also disagree. The Church has done much good work in Africa and Latin America that I am aware of, and others can point to good works in other areas. I challenge you to show the last act of violence sanctioned by the Church, and how long ago it was, and it what context. Individuals may err, but if they are acting under the color of authority of the Church and the Church discovers it, the Church will and does, take action against those individuals.

Can you count the number of fatwas issued by Imams against others, inciting violence in the past 25 years? Where is the responsibility within Islam, especially it's leaders, to condemn those who incite, support, or commit violent acts?

It has been over 700 years since the Church authorized a Crusade. The Church has learned better, Islam has not. If you wish to judge actions, please take the time to study the context wherein they occurred.

Do not expect a break with the past from the Catholic Church. They will treasure what is good and true, and reject that which is harmful and false. The Pope rejects violence, and regrets that his comments which referenced an abhorrence of violence, was reponded to with violence.

The Church serves as the anchor in a great many people's lives because it IS stable, and as such deserves respect and courtesy.

Any changes must be undertaken gradually, after long and careful consideration of the potential consequences.

In my humble opinion, not only is Pope Benedict XVI up to the job, he is the best man for the job, and doing an outstanding job, given the number and magnitude of challenges the Church faces.

As I have said, I am not a Roman Catholic, and speak only for myself. I am just trying to be a Christian, and I do recognize Catholicism brings great value to the world and all of Christianity.

Answer 2

Is Benedict Up to the Job?

The struggle between the Emperors and the Popes played a central role in European history and divided the peoples. It knew ups and downs. Some Emperors dismissed or expelled a Pope, some Popes dismissed or excommunicated an Emperor.

But there were times when Emperors and Popes lived in peace with each other. We are witnessing such a period today.

Between the present Pope, Benedict XVI, and the present Emperor, George Bush II, there exists a wonderful harmony. The speech by the Pope, which aroused a world-wide storm, went well with Bush's crusade against "Islamofascism", in the context of the "Clash of Civilizations".

The treatment of other religions by Islam must be judged by a simple test: How did the Muslim rulers behave for more than a thousand years, when they had the power to "spread the faith by the sword"?

THE STORY about "spreading the faith by the sword" is an evil legend, one of the myths that grew up in Europe during the great wars against the Muslims - the reconquista of Spain by the Christians, the Crusades and the repulsion of the Turks, who almost conquered Vienna.

The German Pope, the leader of the Catholic world, who is a Christian theologian in his own right, did not make the effort to study the history of other religions.

Why did he utter these words in public? And why now?

There is no escape from viewing them against the background of the new Crusade of Bush and his evangelist supporters, with his slogans of "Islamofascism" and the "Global War on Terrorism" - when "terrorism" has become a synonym for Muslims.

For Bush's handlers, this is a cynical attempt to justify the domination of the world's oil resources. Not for the first time in history, a religious robe is spread to cover the nakedness of economic interests; not for the first time, a robbers' expedition becomes a Crusade.

The speech of the Pope blends into this effort. Who can foretell the dire consequences

If this is what you too mean by the pope's job; yes, Benedict Is Up to the Job.

Answer 3

Though I am not Catholic, in the Popes defense Germany as well as the Church has already publicly asked forgiveness for their sins regarding the Jews back when John Paul was Pope. Benedict would simply be redundant in any continuing gesture in that regard.
However what I find most interesting about His words regarding Islam is that Islam is now publicly in the streets validating the claims of the Byzantine Emporer so long ago.
When someone calls you violent, you might want to prove them wrong.....

Answer 4

it really isn't any longer an outstanding pastime, yet a problematic one. "What extra ought to he have needed from an outstanding pastime like that" a lot less paintings. "Why would anybody supply up being king or a pope for something in the experience that they did no longer have too?" because positions like that contain large duty and persons from time to time comprehend that they are no longer as a lot because the pastime.

Answer 5

The proof is in the pudding. You can say or speak your free thought about any religion in the world except Islam and not worry if someone is going to burn your town down or worse.If Islam is a religion of peace why
do they try to Force their ways on you?
In Christ in Love,
TJ57

Answer 6

I'm Muslim and I respected John Paul for respecting other religions..but this guy has successfully ended all the cooperation between Islamic institutions and Vatican for bringing peace between the Islamic and the Christian worlds.

Answer 7

Pope Benedict XVI has managed to antagonise three major world faiths if you count Buddhism too.

Famously, the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger once referred to Buddhism as a form of masturbation for the mind - a remark still repeated among deeply offended Buddhists more than a decade after he said it. Even his apology to Muslims at the weekend managed to bring Jews into the row.

The Irony and hypocrisy is the Catholic Church was also happily spreading the "true faith" by the sword at the same time this quote was made. And had been doing so for centuries, for example the 1st Crusade earlier in 1096.

Spreading the Faith by the Sword was the philosophy that created the Inquisition in which Muslims and Jews were killed and driven out of Catholic kingdoms in Spain and Portugal after the Christian re-conquests. Do note that Muslims do not have any exclusive copyright over the use of the term "infidel."

Isn't the Pope's quote a case of "the pot calling the kettle black". This pope was also once a member of the HItler Youth.

Another irony, the empire of Roman Emperor Manuel Palaeologos was fatally weakened not by the Muslims, but two centuries earlier by the Pope and Catholic Church who instigated the 4th Crusade in 1204. But half way to the Holy Land, they had a change of plan, and decided to attack the Eastern Roman Empire, massacre Orthodox Christians with the sword and sack Constantinople instead of putting Muslims and Jews to the sword. This event is one of the three milestones in the demise of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.

Another point the quote Pope Benedict chose is totally bogus and dubious. Emperor Manuel Palaeologos was fighting for the political survival of his pathetic empire, and was politically motivated in his statement. The "erudite" Emperor Manuel invented this "debate" to suit his political argument. In medieval times you could do things like that. It is the medieval equivalent of "spin" today. The learned "prominent" Persian poet and scholar Manuel is meant to have had this "debate" with is totally bogus and does not exist. Historical research knows of no such person. Why is the name of the prominent Persian poet and scholar unknown in an otherwise very well recorded historical "debate"???

I am sure Pope Benedict, a supposedly learned scholar - whose previous job until last year was in charge of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (the successor body to the Inquisition) when he was then known as Cardinal Ratzinger - knew the quote was from a bogus "debate".

I in no way condone the response of Muslim fanatics and hotheads - burning churches, and murdering Nuns. They just bring shame and discredit on their faith and themselves. Ironically - although it is lost on these fanatic hotheads - through their actions they help to reinforce stereotypes about the very thing they have taken offence at - namely saying that Islam is a violent and intolerant religion.

I understand the quote was taken out of context in Pope Benedict's speech. But never the less, I think it is shocking that a man who is the Spiritual head of a community of over 1 Billion souls, chose this clearly inflammatory passage, when he could have chosen something far more conciliatory, constructive and uncontroversial to make the same point about faith and reason, and the incompatibility of violence and religion without giving any excuse that he had insulted Islam. Something from the Bible for example.

A man of Pope Benedict's experience must have known this quote was inflamatory when he chose to include it, and that one of the consequences would be to fuel a violent Muslim reaction. Any fool could have told him the same. Pope Benedict had the hindsight of the experience of the Danish Cartoon riots. I can only conclude he has been wilfully mischievous.

Pope Benedict has also now insulted the Jews, it has been reported. In another speech shortly after his infamous Regensburg Rally (geddit), he said "Christians worshipped the cross because of the folly of the Jews and ignorance of Pagans and Gentiles."

In an address of March 16, 2006, Pope Benedict said Jews must Convert to Christianity in order to be Saved.

From The Guardian: "Even worse, in his Auschwitz address in May 2006, he managed to argue in a long theological exposition that the real victims of the Holocaust were God and Christianity. As one commentator put it, he managed to claim that Jews were "themselves bit players - bystanders at their own extermination. The true victim was a metaphysical one." This theological treatise bears the same characteristics as last week's Regensburg lecture; put at its most charitable, they are too clever by half."

But don't worry Jews can take it. I promise you we will not burn down any churches or murder any nuns.

The Guardian says "In the perceived clash between the West and the Muslim world - the Pope seems to have abdicated his papal role of arbitrator, and taken up arms in a rerun of a medieval fantasy."

"An elderly Catholic nun has already been killed in Somalia, in retaliation for the Pope's remarks; churches have been attacked in the West Bank. How is this papal stupidity going to play out in countries such as Nigeria, where the tensions between Catholics and Muslims frequently flare into riots and death? Or other countries such as Pakistan, where Catholic communities are already beleaguered? Or the Muslim minorities in Catholic countries such as the Philippines - how comfortable do they feel this week?"

"Two lines of thought emerge from this mess. The first is that the Pope's personal authority has been irrevocably damaged; how now could he ever present himself as a figure of global moral authority and a peacemaker after this?"

"The second is a more disturbing possibility: namely, that the Catholic church could be failing - yet again - to deal with the challenge of modernity."

For a Spiritual leader, Pope Benedict appears to have intellectual knowledge without spiritual substance and wisdom. He has been irresponsible and insensitive, and looked foolish especially when people are killed as a result of his thoughtless actions and decisions. Not Infallible to me.

Pope John Paul tried to build bridges between faiths and peoples.

Pope Benedict, however, seems intent on burning them. Hasn't the world got enough hatred and troubles without further inflaming the fires of hate in these violent times.

If he is up to the job why doesn't Pope Benedict speak on something truly important like saving the people of Darfur from Genocide? Or doesn't he care?

PS Lewis even though I agree with you on Darfur, I find your views on Catholicism, the Pope and Anti-Semitism insensitive and downright insulting to all Jews. Pastor Sauce has it right on Pope Benedict and his odious views about the Holocaust, and if you read his statement carefully you would have understood. Read my expose above for the Truth.

And secondly I don't buy your argument about the quote. It is from a BOGUS "debate". The Pope knew it. See above for details. And as for Muslim violence, and your take on the Crusades this is a case of "the pot calling the kettle black". The Pope sanctioned the 4th Crusade and cannot be excused. Again see above for details. Also watch the series Secret Files of the Inquisition if you have the opportunity.

Lewis please don't take this personally, I respect your views, but I believe too many lies from the past need to be put right. To paraphrase the Nazis: "if you tell a lie long enough people begin to believe it", and unfortunately that is the case with a lot of past history in the Catholic Church.

Answer 8

We will see what happens when he goes to Turkey about a month from now.

Answer 9

I guess he is, but I see no need for a pope.

Answer 10

who cares about the pope u loser!!! find a hobby!