New pope
An article by Garry Wills, New Pope? I’ve Given Up Hope. They're commenting on it at dotCommonweal - Hope for the next Pope? Nope. I myself have no hope that the next pope will be any better than Benedict, since many of the cardinals who'll vote and from whose ranks the next pope will be chosen were probably appointed in reward for being loyal.
But the conservatives are jazzed about a new pope even as they pay tribute to the old pope - An African pope would make the jaded western world sit up and take notice. Peter Turkson is the African cardinal usually mentioned as a front-runner. From what I've read, he'll be at least as conservative as Benedict ... Condoms are not reliable in fight against HIV, says African cardinal ... Cardinal Responds to U.N.'s Criticism of Africa's Social Policies. I don't know much about the Catholic Church in Africa beyond what I've read about Bishop Kevin Dowling and The Church and Rwanda, but if the Catholic Church in Africa is anything like the Anglican Global South, it will be pretty conservative.
But the conservatives are jazzed about a new pope even as they pay tribute to the old pope - An African pope would make the jaded western world sit up and take notice. Peter Turkson is the African cardinal usually mentioned as a front-runner. From what I've read, he'll be at least as conservative as Benedict ... Condoms are not reliable in fight against HIV, says African cardinal ... Cardinal Responds to U.N.'s Criticism of Africa's Social Policies. I don't know much about the Catholic Church in Africa beyond what I've read about Bishop Kevin Dowling and The Church and Rwanda, but if the Catholic Church in Africa is anything like the Anglican Global South, it will be pretty conservative.
posted by crystal | 2:25 PM
2 Comments:
If Turkson is elected, it will be a clear sign the College of Cardinals has learned nothing from the past eight years (or thirty-four years, really). The same will be true if they elect Marc Ouellet. Actually, pretty much every single cardinal currently being touted as among the frontrunners is virtually guaranteed to be "more of the same."
But the more I think about it, the more hopeful I feel. Not hopeful that the next pope will be better than the last two—he likely won't be, even though the bar has been set very, very low.
Rather, when I remember to look at the big picture, I realize that the present, defective structures will have to fall before something worthy can take their place. A Ratzinger clone will hasten their fall. A better pope—a Pope Schönborn, say—would merely postpone the needed catharsis.
Hi PrickliestPear,
I see what you mean. Someone like Schönborn might lull dissent a bit and actually keep a more fundamental change from taking place sooner rather than later. We need a coup :)
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