Joseph Ratzinger named new pope-- Benedict XVI

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Ick. What a backhanded complement. It's like the 700 club view. "Of course we support Zionism, because once the Holy Temple is rebuilt, rapture will come. See, those Jews are good for something, they must be if God's letting the bastards stick around." Ick.

He can show up to all the Museusms of Jewish Heritage he wants, doesn't change the fact that he ordered Cahtolics to not take communion with Lutherans. And ordered clergy to turn their backs on pregnant teens. Hardly the bastion of tolerance and compassion, and his support of Jewish Orthodoxy, which has the same flaws as strict Catholicism, doesn't change that.

Couldn't disagree more.

He is a man who believes (obviously) that Christ is the only way to salvation. So you would rather he say "Jews are free to worship as they believe and we embrace them, even though this means they will burn in hell."? He is saying that he respects them, what they have been through, their place in history, and that he hopes someday they come to Christ to share in the salvation which his faith says is based on such acceptance. Why is hope that someone will share your faith a horrid thing?

Turn their backs on pregnant teens? No, they were instructed not to counsel then that abortion was a viable option, if I am not mistaken (could be).

As far as not sharing communion with Lutherans, I have a theory, though I cannt be sure - Catholics have a doctrine which says they the communion wafer and wine actually turn to the body and blood of Christ. Not my thing, but that's their doctrine. As far as I know, Lutheran's do not share that belief. Would not that therefore result in the sacrament not being compatable between the two religions, meaning something different to the two?

I would offer that though these things were certainly from the pen of Ratzinger, he was tight with JP II, and JP II had the final say on such things and I am certain that JP II either reviewed, was notified, or would have quashed such things had he not been.