The Reality of Pope Benedict
Critics will paint caricatures of the pope during his U.S. visit, just as they did after his election. But Benedict has shown himself to be far more complex than their simplistic analysis allows.
“I have known this man for a very long time, and what I am seeing, frankly, is the man I have always known.” – George Weigel to the New York Times, on Pope Benedict XVI.
While awaiting the peal of bells and the white smoke signifying the election of the successor to Pope John Paul II, chattering gasbags of the pundit class killed time by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the “papabile frontrunners.” The news media and their analysts seemed to agree on one point: the election of Joseph Ratzinger — who as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had been characterized for years in the press as the “ruthless enforcer” of Catholic orthodoxy — would be a catastrophe. Ratzinger’s “ruthlessness” consisted mostly of discouraging the “liberation theology” that often runs hand-in-hand with socialism and insisting that Catholic theologians — particularly those teaching at Vatican-sponsored Catholic colleges and universities — either present the faith as something more than a relativistic intellectual playground, or (as in the case of Hans Kung) give up the title of “professor.” Or teach somewhere else.
To some it might seem reasonable that a man of the church would expect those teaching it to do so with a measure of fidelity.
For the chatty media, however, the idea of “God’s rottweiller” as pope meant the continuation of the seemingly objectionable notion (insisted upon by his stubborn predecessor) that a pope might uphold actual Church teachings on abortion, euthanasia, divorce, etc. Presumably none of the cardinals entering the papal conclave would have — upon ascending the Chair of Peter — simply declared that “everything we taught before is canceled” and signed on with the progressives, but for sure, Ratzinger would not be the man to do it.
What was needed and desired, the talking heads informed us in ceaseless litany, was a pope who would “bring the church into the 21st century” and reconcile it to abortion, divorce, gay marriage, women priests, celibacy, and condoms. The press seemed willing to pretend that Joseph Ratzinger was the sole stumbling block to progressive ambitions. Then, preaching to his fellow cardinals just before the conclave, Ratzinger further annoyed many of the chatterers by warning against “building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.”
Not much liking that, Notre Dame’s Fr. Richard McBrien sniffed: “If Cardinal Ratzinger were really campaigning for pope, he would have given a far more conciliatory homily. … He’s too much of a polarizing figure.”
In fact, Benedict is less “polarizing” than simply consistent in his faith and his philosophy; having experienced a life with which few of his critics could ever identify, he dares to stand for more than “whatever…”:
Günter Grass, in his memoirs, recalls an encounter with the young Joseph Ratzinger while both were held in an American prisoner-of-war camp in 1945. The young Grass, a Nazi who had been proud to serve in the Waffen-SS, was taken aback by this soft-spoken, gentle young Catholic. Unlike God, the future pope played dice, quoting St. Augustine in the original while he did so; he even dreamt in Latin. His only desire was to return to the seminary from which he had been drafted. “I said, there are many truths,” wrote Grass. “He said, there is only one.” (Daniel Johnson, New York Sun, September 18, 2006)
When the bells pealed for Ratzinger, there did commence some howling and not a little drama-queening. As Archbishop Chaput of Denver noted, Benedict was given no honeymoon. Live-blogging coverage at National Review, Kathryn Jean Lopez wrote: “Moments into his papacy, a seemingly annoyed Cokie Roberts calls him an ‘extremely controversial’ pope.” Writer Andrew Sullivan said, “The culture wars in America are already aflame, his elevation as Benedict XVI amounts to a barrel-full of petrol on the fire.” E.J. Dionne described himself as “petrified” of what a Pope Ratzinger might bring. Sr. Joan Chittister suggested that Benedict was so retrograde he represented the theology of the 13th century, and predicted, “[if women are not allowed ordination] … we’re going to lose an entire generation of young women and we’re going to lose them quickly.” Tina Brown got insulting: “Oh no! Cardinal Ratzinger!” wrote Brown, “His very name was ominous,” while Maureen Dowd went into a predictable meltdown: “The white smoke yesterday signaled that the Vatican thinks what it needs to bring it into modernity is the oldest pope since the 18th century … a 78-year-old hidebound archconservative who ran the office that used to be called the Inquisition and who once belonged to Hitler Youth.”
Well. Ooops.
As Benedict XVI lands in the United States we can look back upon these and other dire predictions and report that — thus far, anyway — Benedict has not thrown his head back to bare his fangs. No iron maidens have been commissioned for the new inquisition. He has poured no kerosene on the teeming bonfires of American culture. The soft-spoken, multilingual, piano-playing book-lover who turns 81 while here has proved himself to be a peaceable and pastoral shepherd, one who likes to talk and to listen, but to do both while resolutely teaching the faith throughout the age, rather than spreading the age throughout the faith.
Pope Benedict’s encyclicals have been Christ-centered exhortations to love and to hope. There has been no bull whip cracking down, only a gentle issuing of an invitation to ponder the Eternal and to fit ourselves into the plan God has for each of us in our spheres.
In the current age, which would prefer God to fit into its plans rather than the reverse, Benedict is preaching a radical message that he knows many — blessed with free will and beholden to the age — will reject. Far from displaying an “enforcer” mentality, the pope accepts that rejection with pragmatism and ultimately with trust. “The Church,” he said as Joseph Ratzinger, “will become small, and will to a great extent have to start over again. But after a time of testing, an internalized and simplified Church will radiate great power and influence; for the population of an entirely planned and controlled world are going to be inexpressibly lonely … and they will then discover the little community of believers as something quite new. As a hope that is there for them, as the answer they have secretly always been asking for.”
Papa Ratzi must find it heartening that — contrary to Sr. Chittister’s doomsaying — vocations to the priesthood and religious life are on the increase, worldwide, as a new generation looks for the radical turn away from “whatever…”
During his brief stay in the United States, Benedict’s schedule is full. He will meet the president and the press; he will confer with Catholic educators and meet with representatives from other religions — and injured members of his own. He will celebrate masses and pray at Ground Zero, and he will speak to the United Nations. Aside from reaching out to his own flock, one constant of Benedict’s papacy has been his willingness to engage Islam and to challenge it, too. He will likely do that again this week.
Nothing in his pontificate thus far suggests that Benedict will be doing any of that while banging a shoe on a desk, burning witches, or wrapping a woman in a burqa against her will. And the press has softened its tone on this “interim pope” who, presumably, will not reign for decades. Still, in the next days we will undoubtedly hear the continuing narrative and tired cliches about “hard-liner” Benedict’s failure to unite his “divided flock,” and stale laments about “what the Church needs to do if it is to survive” from the usual corners.
As Benedict, who is alright with sustained narratives, might say, “whatever…”
The Anchoress blogs at the Anchoress Online.
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35 Comments
1. Akatsukami:Western progressives cannot accept that they have marginalized themselves through cowardice, moral and physical, and a studied refusal to reproduce. Benedict’s constituency, as it were (not that the Roman Catholic church is or should be a democratic institution) is the genuinely poor and oppressed Christians of Africa, where the faith takes on a fervency almost Penecostal in its intensity.
Apr 15, 2008 - 2:54 am 2. JamesT:“the genuinely poor and oppressed Christians of Africa, where the faith takes on a fervency almost Penecostal in its intensity.”
Apr 15, 2008 - 5:07 am 3. Jewel:Excellent point, although I think the word would be ‘devout’.
Interesting that there is no ‘priest shortage’ in these countries, and many are coming here to serve in the US. These priests from places like the Philippines, India, and South America are very orthodox and do not come with the ’sixties’ baggage American priests have had.
The thought of inviting terrorists is truly New Testamental. Praying openly for identified enemies is a far braver act than the vague bumper sticker solipsistic “God loves everyone no exceptions” and “Coexist” bumper stickers which require no courage at all.
Apr 15, 2008 - 8:07 am 4. The press and Benedict | The Anchoress:[...] piece comparing and contrasting the press’ dire predictions about Pope Benedict XVI with the reality of the man is up at Pajamas Media [...]
Apr 15, 2008 - 8:08 am 5. Sissy Willis:A truly powerful essay. My thoughts here:
“The answer they have secretly always been asking for”
http://sisu.typepad.com/sisu/2008/04/the-answer-they.html
Apr 15, 2008 - 8:31 am 6. Webutante:Wonderful piece on a man I knew so little about and now have a warm spot in my heart for……and a man who obviously knows ‘whatever’ never makes for true happiness, peace or joy in life.
Apr 15, 2008 - 11:34 am 7. Gayle Miller:I have always been somewhat baffled, even irritated, by the effrontery of non-Catholics who believe they have both a duty and a right to tell us what to do about our religious beliefs. Get a clue all you secular progressive nimrods – you don’t. And it is insulting when you make the attempt. We’ve been around a good long while and while you all may think we need to “modernize” to fit YOUR agendas, we feel no such need – so don’t expect acceptance of abortion now – or ever – because we consider it murder. So-called Catholic politicians who temporize in these areas are doing so at the risk of their own souls.
Catholics have always, I think, turned the other cheek. But despite his obvious gentleness and compassion (real compassion – not the Clintonian hang-wringing, lip trembling variety), the Pope’s strength of character and clear vision is evident and his courage is simply not to be questioned because it is real and towering.
Benedict XVI is truly an awe inspiring and faith inspiring Pontiff. He makes me very very proud to be a Catholic.
Apr 15, 2008 - 11:48 am 8. P. Ami:I am a Jew who has absolutely no propensity towards identifying Jesus with the Messiah. My family has suffered major trauma, multiple murders and incredible torture from the followers of Jesus over the many generations between his death and today. Christianity, as a replacement or new testament that supersedes the Torah, the Judges and Prophets, as well as the many works of genius produced by our rabbis over the millennia, is not meaningful to me. I like this Pope of yours and wish him and his flock all the strength in serving G-d and fulfilling your purpose here in this world He created for us all. This Son of Israel is sympathetic to the expressed wishes of this pope, aside from his worship of a man. I pray that we can all fulfill our duty to Him and that He will bring peace to The Nation of Israel and all her allies.
Apr 15, 2008 - 4:38 pm 9. Roark:The Pope is a coward when it comes to confronting Islam and all its evils.-no surprise there though.
Apr 15, 2008 - 6:51 pm 10. Donna:The American media have a way of treating the Pope (any Pope) as if he were an American politican angling for votes. And as if American Catholics are the only Catholics in the world who matter, as if their issues and problems are everyone’s. Believing that ordaining women priests is a huge deal in, say, South America, is like believing African women worry about the “glass ceiling.” No, their worries are rather more basic. The MSM cannot wrap its collective secular head around the fact that Benedict’s concern is not with polling data, popularity or whether Maureen Dowd approves of him, but with proclaiming the Truth of Christ.
Apr 15, 2008 - 7:26 pm 11. Raymond Barry:It isn’t the complexity of Benedict’s message that unhinges the graphomaniacs of the left but its simplicity. It’s the same problem that dazzlingly dexterous musicians have with the music of Mozart and Schubert.
Apr 15, 2008 - 8:44 pm 12. Blogs For Victory » The Anchoress on Benedict XVI:[...] 16th, 2008 at 06:18am Mark Noonan There is only one Truth, and Benedict XVI serves Him: As Benedict XVI lands in the United States we can look back upon [...]
Apr 16, 2008 - 3:18 am 13. Zach:“The Pope is a coward when it comes to confronting Islam and all its evils.-no surprise there though.”
Are we talking about the same Pope who quoted a Byzantine emperor on Islam which caused great controversy around the world? Here’s the quote:
“Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”[3] The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. “God”, he says, “is not pleased by blood – and not acting reasonably (σὺν λόγω) is contrary to God’s nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats… To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death…”.[4]
I think condemning violent coercion by Muslims is pretty direct confrontation and a sign, not of cowardice, but of bravery.
Apr 16, 2008 - 7:02 am 14. USA sees a very different pope | The Anchoress:[...] my piece currently featured at Pajamas Media I note that the reality of Pope Benedict XVI has been very different from the projections of [...]
Apr 16, 2008 - 8:46 am 15. tanstaafl:The Pope’s remarks on the plane yesterday went a long way to the Church owning up to the pedophile priest débacle.
Long overdue, but nevertheless, very well said.
Apr 16, 2008 - 9:18 am 16. Richard Cook:Roark has missed the clue train. From the beginning this Pope understands he is the point man against Wahabbist Islam. I am not Catholic but I love the man. His defense of orthodoxy signifies a rare courage. Gadzooks!!! The Pope actually defending orthodoxy. Whodathunkit?
Apr 16, 2008 - 9:58 am 17. Viola Jaynes:Wonderfully written! So happy to see you featured here.
Apr 16, 2008 - 11:26 am 18. Pat:Magdi Christiano Allam said it was the pope’s courage regarding Islam that solidified his decision to convert.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JC26Aa01.html
Apr 16, 2008 - 11:55 am 19. PoliGazette » Pope Benedict XVI:[...] Anchoress looks back at how American (progressive) pundits talked about then Cardinal Ratzinger – when he was elected [...]
Apr 16, 2008 - 12:11 pm 20. Benedict so far… | The Anchoress:[...] The Reality of Benedict and Benedict & Islam; a supernatural gambit (a recent piece at Pajamas Media, and one from last year.) [...]
Apr 17, 2008 - 11:09 am 21. Webelf Report News Blogroll « The WebElf Report:[...] THE REALITY of Pope Benedict, by The Anchoress …. [...]
Apr 17, 2008 - 1:29 pm 22. B16 gets big at Nationals Stadium - UPDATED | The Anchoress:[...] narrative,” which I think is taking a beating (as is the credibility of the press who repeated it ad nauseam) in the face of Benedict’s actual [...]
Apr 17, 2008 - 9:20 pm 23. frans:i feel insulted when someone tries to “convert” me to a religion.
Apr 18, 2008 - 8:26 am 24. zen:Magdi Allam was never a practicing Muslim. And there are many Christians converting from Benedict’s religion to Islam – so?
Apr 18, 2008 - 11:57 am 25. Akatsukami:Pope has a highly prejudiced way of thinking about history. If Christianity was a reasonable and tolerant religion, then why couldn’t his medieval ancestors tolerate Jews and Muslims like Muslim rulers in medieval Spain did? Why did the church persecuted its own people for centuries? And even in 21st century, why so many Priest are Paedophiles?
“If Christianity was a reasonable and tolerant religion, then why couldn’t his medieval ancestors tolerate Jews and Muslims like Muslim rulers in medieval Spain did?”
You mean like the Almohads, zen? The emirs of the taifas? Or are you thinking of the non-existent figures of the Islamist propaganda that you parrot?
Apr 19, 2008 - 8:44 am 26. zen:“You mean like the Almohads, zen? The emirs of the taifas? Or are you thinking of the non-existent figures of the Islamist propaganda that you parrot?”
There have been intolerant rulers on both sides and one can always select a few intolerant ones to prove a point – but the tolerance of many Muslim rulers are documented by scholars like Bernhard Lewis, who has little sympathy for Islam otherwise. In the history of Christianity, you will barely find something similar.
Apr 20, 2008 - 1:43 am 27. Believer:Perhaps comments I posted on a different thread should be repeated here:
While I am of Protestant upbringing, my heart is so full of love and thanksgiving for Pope Benedict XVI. He has, hopefully, replaced a distorted view of our Christian faith with Truth. His visit could not have been more timely.
In recent weeks, we’ve been assaulted with the horror of teachings from the pulpit completely antithetical to Christ. And though our pain is felt for our faith and its misrepresentation to the uninformed, it is also very real for those who’ve heard these messages for years, and have been led perilously far from the Source of their salvation.
If we pause to consider what we’ve witnessed in the past few weeks, there can be no doubt where Hope truly resides. For in only One is there a pathway to Life.
The pathway of the other is now, surely, abundantly clear.
Apr 20, 2008 - 1:07 pm 28. Entranced:Not as a Catholic, but as a Christian, amazed at the projection of simple, honest, devout faith and goodness. What a burning bush in the desert of our greedy culture is this man from Bavaria!
Apr 20, 2008 - 4:14 pm 29. My punny son… | The Anchoress:[...] source by TheAnchoress @ 5:13 pm. Filed under It’s all about me! Me! ME! [Trackback [...]
Aug 20, 2008 - 3:13 pm 30. Obama: Yes to Iran, No to WFTV | The Anchoress:[...] Pope Benedict: there is one truth by TheAnchoress @ 1:12 pm. Filed under America, Barack Obama, Benedict & Islam, Benedict [...]
Oct 30, 2008 - 11:12 am 31. Maggie45:I have come home to Roman Catholicism after 41 years in the wilderness. This wonderful compassionate man is one of the main influences on my return.
Oct 30, 2008 - 2:40 pm 32. Pajamas Media » The Pope & The Pelosi: Face to Face:[...] to the papacy revealed his undeniable and natural gentleness, the pope has known a life of war, deprivation, conscription, imprisonment, and humble service to faith; it shows on his [...]
Feb 17, 2009 - 10:51 pm 33. New York; We have a Pastor! | The Anchoress:[...] prayed with us, and listened to us, treated our wounds and took our measure when you were here just exactly one year ago. And by the grace of the Holy Spirit, you gave us precisely what we [...]
Apr 15, 2009 - 1:03 pm 34. “…I prayed my way into thinking.” | The Anchoress:[...] that in the next vote he would likely become the Vicar of Christ, he begged God; “please, don’t do this to me.” He, too, led where he would rather not go. He too, Isra-El. His struggles may be only of a [...]
May 6, 2009 - 4:50 am 35. Post Pope, Israel may support 2-state solution | The Anchoress:[...] expect an old intellectual who has been talking about the battle between truth and relativism from his teenage years in a POW camp, through his elevation to the papacy, to have contributed anything of value to the decades-long [...]
May 16, 2009 - 12:43 pm