We have a new pope – pope Benedict XVI.\u00a0 What an amazing selection – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.\u00a0 The seminarians were going nuts up here at the election.\u00a0 We just got out of mass and the bells announcing the new pope started – most of us were really surprised at the speed which they elected the new pope.\u00a0 We ran down to the TV room and started watching the coverage – classes were immediately canceled.\u00a0 It was amazing timing today, because we had just got out of mass where 20 new deacon candidates had just signed and announced their public candidacy oaths for deaconate ordination.\u00a0 Anyway, a lot of guys were going crazy (in a good way) cheering and hooting when they announced it was Ratzinger – a German cardinal who had been in the office for Catholic doctrine.\u00a0 I too was very moved and joyful at this selection.\u00a0 While a complete analysis is too long – here’s my general take:<\/p>\n
He’s an excellent\u00a0 successor to John Paul II.\u00a0 Ratzinger was John Paul’s right-hand-man for the last 20 some years and very holy.\u00a0 Many of our instructors have met, studied, or worked with him.\u00a0 Expect his papacy to be very similar to John Paul’s – but I don’t know if he’ll be quite the exuberant public face\/world traveler as John Paul.\u00a0 On a theological front, by picking the name Benedict and from having read a number of his articles, expect his papacy to be marked by strong support for the traditional Catholic stances on topics such as the priesthood, marriage, sexuality, the mass, etc; probably more so than John Paul’s papacy. Clarification and affirmation of Catholic doctrine will probably be the place he will be most active in – since this is what his job has been for so long now. Clearly, these are generalities, and the realities will obviously have yet to unfold.\u00a0\u00a0 Thanks to God for sending us such a soul to help shepherd His church. He’ll be needing our prayers, and I for one know mine will be with him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We have a new pope – pope Benedict XVI.\u00a0 What an amazing selection – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.\u00a0 The seminarians were going nuts up here at the election.\u00a0 We just got out of mass and the bells announcing the new pope started – most of us were really surprised at the speed which they elected the new pope.\u00a0 We ran down to the TV room and started watching the coverage – classes were immediately canceled.\u00a0 It was amazing timing today, because…<\/p>\n