Benedict XVI: The New Pope, 'God's Rottweiler' or God's German Shepherd?

Comes now the disharmonious chorus to sing of the elevation of German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the papacy as Benedict XVI.

Some, most, sing with soaring, rapturous hosannahs. Others, in key sophisticated and solipsistic circles, rejoice with all the enthusiasm of a boy told to kiss his sister.

The latter group, largely European and to a lesser extent American, is citing Ratzinger's brief compelled membership in the Hitler Youth as an indicator he is a secret Nazi sympathizer — "God's rottweiler."

German theologian Hans Küng, censured by the Vatican when the Cardinal was John Paul's principal doctrinal dialectician, launches the assault on Ratzinger from another angle: "His ideology is a medieval, anti-Reformation, anti-modern paradigm of the church and the papacy." The editor of an Italian Catholic lay newsletter echoes Küng, contending that — together — John Paul and Ratzinger created a "medieval atmosphere" hopelessly out of touch with contemporary reality.

The clear implication is that thanks largely to Ratzinger, with the late Pope's by-your-leave, everything in the Vatican is about as up-to-date as it was in the Kansas City heralded in "Oklahoma!" The argument implicitly extends to the entire House of Cardinals, which in about 24 hours mustered a two-thirds vote for Ratzinger who at 78, seemingly senile in this global hour of the young, becomes the oldest Pope elected in two centuries.

(Perhaps those complaining that the House of Cardinals does not know what it is doing, should be asked to weigh its assembled opinion against the oh-so-distinguished, and ever-so-with-it, United States Senate. There, Senators find themselves unable to demonstrate their ability to mount a two-thirds (or even a majority) vote for certain nominations to the federal bench because they cannot wrest those nominations from a covetous committee.)

The Church is model of efficiency compared with the workings of a free society. It does make up in dynamism what it lacks in trendiness. Whereas we think in terms of the present, in Rome they think ahead in terms of centuries. And the disparaging of the new Pope has only revealed the gap between liberal pseudo-intellects and the rigorous learning of holy men whose understanding of human affairs goes back millenia. It would be best for all concerned if the Left dropped its respectable bigotry and mockery of people of faith.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

“Its going to interesting to observe how the new Pope handles relations with protestants given the fact that this man Ratzinger has previously "officially declared" in official RC writing that "there is no eternal life apart from the Roman Catholic Church"… period: Joseph Card. Ratzinger, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dominus Iesus (On the Unicity and Salvific Universaility of Jesus Christ and the Church), August 6, 2000

Paragraphs 17 and 21-22 are crucial, paragraph 17 added fuel to the flames; Ratzinger’s point: there is ONLY one church and it is the Roman Catholic church. “Divine grace,”/salvation is found through “The (Roman Catholic) Church” alone. If you do not believe in the RC doctrine regarding the “Eucharistic Mystery”, or his “holiness” you are not a real church, and those who do not hold to these beliefs are lost.

http://www.creighton.edu/csfl/resources/religion/encyclicals/dominusjesus.htm

http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFUNICI.HTM

It is going to be "interesting" to see how this man wiggles his way around his own doctrinal position that is in writing for all to see, in order to pull the wool over the eyes of those he wants to subjugate under the authority of his supposed "holiness" and the church of Rome. This guy was not called "The Pope's Rottweiler" by those within the RC church itself who knew him "up close and personal" for nothing.

I am a former Roman Catholic, feel free to flame away but that is what Ratzinger has said in official RC writing and believes (as well he should because that is what the RC church officially believes,… hence the Reformation).

…As for me and my house, we will follow and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, not some man in red who thinks he is the supposed “vicar of Christ” (Christ's representative on earth), especially in light of the fact that those within the church who know him best, have for years openly entitled him "The Pope's Rottweiler".,

…Rottweiler, German Shepherd, it makes no difference, both are viscous and prone to tear one to pieces, hardly a moniker any “spiritual leader” would want as the supposed “shepherd” of the sheep.

John Paul and Ratzinger created a "medieval atmosphere" hopelessly out of touch with contemporary reality.

My brother in law is a priest and has met the new Pope. He also told me something that I had never heard before. Apparently, Ratzinger was ordered before the Holy Inquisition THREE TIMES in his younger days. His Bishop and he got so tired of it, since he was 'acquitted' every time, that they started thinking of different ways to ban truly heretical thought without stifling thought altogether. They came up with an idea, which was mentioned when Ratzinger and some other priests were at the Second Vatican Council. Karol Wotyla heard of it, and when he was elected Pope, invited Cardinal Ratzinger to come to Rome and open the office that protected the 'deposit of the faith', and took the place of the Inquisition.

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