Habemus Papam
Posted By Kathleen David on April 20, 2005
When John Paul II became the Bishop of Rome there was no internet for most of the world. Personal computers were on the horizon. Cable TV was in its infancy. We heard on the radio that a Pope had been elected. Not much was known about him except that he took the name of his predecessor who hadn
“Pope Benedict XVI is the Pope. He can change Catholic doctrine with the stroke of a pen. He is the real Pope.”
Once upon a time ago, the Pope died after a relatively long tenure, and the College of Cardinals decided to elect as his successor a man in his late 70s. They figured he’d only be in for a few years (they were right about that part), and that he’d serve as a “transitional” Pope between his long-running predecessor, and a possible long-running successor.
No doubt the cardinals expected this Pope to not only have a relatively short term in office, but to also not do much during his tenure.
Yeah, and the headline writer who plastered “Dewey Defeats Truman” on the front page probably thought he was getting it right, too.
Three months into his new job, this “transitional” Pope, who called himself John XXIII by the way, made an announcement that ushered in major changes for the Catholic church. That theological bombshell can be summarized in two words:
“Vatican II.”
So, it ain’t how long he’s got; it’s what he does with the time.
Rick
We should not be making such comments about whether our new pope is a good or bad choice , we should not speak in terms of dissappointment, Pope Benedict’s job is to uphold our faith and to ensure we stay on the narrow road even though it may be uncomfortable, however we must above all remember he is God’s choice for Pope and that must be good enough.We should not be so impertinent as to question the holy spirit.
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI