God’s candidate? Pope Benedict’s 5 years
| Written by Devapriyo Das |
| Wednesday, 05 May 2010 19:30 |
 Pope Benedict Xvi
He was the perfect candidate. Five years ago, the loyal, scholarly and humble Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected successor to the beloved and immensely popular Pope John Paul II.In the Vatican, the huddled leaders of the Catholic faith believed they had elected the man who could best consolidate the legacy of the late Pope. Looking back, it seems God had other plans. While the Vatican betted on continuity, the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics wanted change. On a host of issues, from inter-religious conflict to personal reproductive choice, the expectations of the faithful exceeded the Vatican’s ability to meet them. Caught between the tides of history and modernity, the newly ensconced Pope Benedict XVI found a safe haven in tradition. He has maintained the Catholic Church’s rigid stance against abortion, divorce and the ordination of women priests, while resisting calls to revoke the celibacy requirement for Catholic priests and nuns. He denounces sex outside marriage but forbids the use of condoms even within marriage. This is particularly damaging in sub-Saharan Africa, home to over 135 million Catholics and 32 million HIV/Aids patients; and presents discordant couples a terrible dilemma. Yet Benedict is also a man who moves with the times. He is against the use of the death penalty, against reckless capitalism and the huge bonuses paid to bankers, and has regularly condemned the war in Iraq. He is strongly supportive of migrants and the poor. Like any other astute world leader, he is wooing China. He has also extended an olive branch to other world religions, and called for an independent Palestinian state as a way of lasting reconciliation between Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Middle East. Divisive His multi-faith efforts have led to some dreadful mistakes. In a 2006 speech at Regensburg University, Germany, he infuriated Muslims by quoting a Byzantine emperor who referred to them as “evil and inhuman”. In 2009, he angered Jews by revoking the excommunication of certain Catholic bishops who had openly denied the Holocaust. Relations worsened when he supported the canonization of Pope Pius XII, the controversial World War II era pontiff. Sensing that many Anglicans were distraught at the Church of England’s ordaining of gay and women bishops, Benedict welcomed Anglicans’ conversion to Catholicism. Married Anglican priests who converted would be allowed to remain married. However, Anglicans viewed the offer as crudely opportunistic. Benedict also worked hard to reconcile Catholics and Orthodox Christians; but sceptics found his embrace incompatible with his long-held belief that Catholicism is the only “true” church. Still, some theologians argue that the growing number of lapsed Catholics in developed countries, and stiff competition from evangelical churches in the developing world, have left Benedict no choice but a return to roots. For all that, Benedict’s papacy till date is most famous for his inaction against paedophilia within the church. Since December 2009, he has faced a deluge of complaints from alleged victims, who say they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests responsible for their welfare. Hundreds of cases have emerged in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain and North and South America. Many more are thought to go unmentioned in Africa and South Asia. Benedict is not personally responsible for these crimes, most of which were committed decades before his papacy. But he is not wholly innocent either. As head of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising in Germany, the future Pope merely suggested therapy and a transfer for the Rev. Peter Hullerman, who was accused of two decades of systematic child-abuse. The late Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy, an American priest who molested up to 200 deaf boys in his care, was similarly shielded, against the advice of his own parish authorities. When the Murphy case emerged in 1996, Benedict was part of the Vatican’s doctrinal team and was, in fact, in charge of oversight functions. Answers It appears Benedict and the Vatican have consistently prioritised the unity of the church, rather than the suffering of victims. Despite international condemnation and calls for a full disclosure, the Pope has not apologised on behalf of the Vatican. He has, however, expressed his personal “shame and sorrow” to alleged victims and ordered investigations. And in past weeks, three Bishops in Belgium, Germany and Ireland resigned admitting personal complicity in the scandal. The Vatican can no longer hide from the disappointment and anger of its own followers. What it needs are workable solutions arrived at through consultation and open discussion, not half-hearted responses to challenging social problems. Catholics everywhere draw spiritual sustenance from their faith, but look to the Pope for guidance and reassurance. They do not expect miracles, but they do want answers. The 83-year-old Benedict must truly embrace his divine responsibility, if he is to provide them. |
