Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Papa Frita
Cardinal Ratzinger has been elected Pope.
That reactionary, narrow-minded old crank will do no good for the Catholic Church or for anyone else in the world.
Dogma, hatred, and self-righteousness will continue to overshadow compassion, charity, and reason.
He has, since 1981, been a prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith- the office formerly know as the Holy Inquisition.
He has driven out priests and dissidents of all stripes whenever he had the chance.
He silenced liberation theologian Father Leonardo Boff, the most prominent proponent of efforts to put the church on the side of the Latin American workers and farmers who were seeking a fairer distribution of the region's resources, a fuller democracy and a brighter future for their children.
He has carried out similar campaigns against any Catholic leader brave enough to defy Church doctrine on the rights of women, gays, and the use of birth control.
Clearly, he either doesn't trust Catholics to keep the faith or he doesn't trust himself to do the same, and so he has to avoid even hearing opinions he disagrees with.
The ONLY test of a good leader is whether he leads the fight against poverty, hatred, oppression and hopelessness and for greater freedom, dignity, and truth. In this capacity, Ratzinger has been a resounding failure.
Hopefully, his reign will be short-lived.
This is where you're headed, Kardinal.
That reactionary, narrow-minded old crank will do no good for the Catholic Church or for anyone else in the world.
Dogma, hatred, and self-righteousness will continue to overshadow compassion, charity, and reason.
He has, since 1981, been a prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith- the office formerly know as the Holy Inquisition.
He has driven out priests and dissidents of all stripes whenever he had the chance.
He silenced liberation theologian Father Leonardo Boff, the most prominent proponent of efforts to put the church on the side of the Latin American workers and farmers who were seeking a fairer distribution of the region's resources, a fuller democracy and a brighter future for their children.
He has carried out similar campaigns against any Catholic leader brave enough to defy Church doctrine on the rights of women, gays, and the use of birth control.
Clearly, he either doesn't trust Catholics to keep the faith or he doesn't trust himself to do the same, and so he has to avoid even hearing opinions he disagrees with.
The ONLY test of a good leader is whether he leads the fight against poverty, hatred, oppression and hopelessness and for greater freedom, dignity, and truth. In this capacity, Ratzinger has been a resounding failure.
Hopefully, his reign will be short-lived.
This is where you're headed, Kardinal.
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