Pope Benedict XVI

There is no doubt – we need to pray for our new Pope, Benedict XVI. He is an enormously intelligent person. He is courteous and welcoming. He has a reputation for being ‘conservative’ – which has resulted from his experience of European politics in the 1960’s. Before that he was a very powerful and influential ‘liberal’ voice at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

I know that something has been made of his involvement with the Hitler Youth Movement. We need to remember that every secondary school student in Germany had to be a member of the movement. Our new Pope comes from Bavaria. Once he left Secondary school and joined the Seminary, he had no further contact with the organisation.

Cardinal Josef Ratzinger was one of the two men (of the 115 at the Conclave) who was not made a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II. Pope Paul VI made him a Cardinal in June 1977.

He was born in April 1927 (so is 78, 21 years older than Pope John Paul II was when he became Pope in 1978), and has held some of the most important positions in the Church in recent years. It is more than likely that you will have seen him presiding at the Funeral of Pope John Paul II and saying Mass just before the Cardinals went into their ‘conclave’ just a few days ago. His father was a police officer, though the rest of his family were farmers. He was ordained in 1951 and both taught and studied philosophy and theology in the University in Munich. In later years he taught theology in Freising, Bonn, Munster, Tubingen and Regensburg. Honestly, he really is a very bright man!

In 1962, at the age of 35, he became an advisor at the Vatican Council. He was made Archbishop of Munich in 1977, and then in 1981 became the man in charge of the ‘Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith’ – the organisation in the Church which keeps and eye on everyone who preaches and writes to ensure that they are in line with the teachings of the Church. At the same time he became the person in charge of the Pope’s advisory groups in relation to Theology and the Study of the Scriptures.

Since then he has held all sorts of other offices in the Church. He has had experience with Churches from the Far East, the preparation of Liturgy and Worship, Catholic Education, Christian Unity and relationships with South America.

It is interesting that the new Pope has taken the name Benedict XVI. The previous Benedict died in 1922, having steered the Church throughout the First World War – he was appointed in 1914. Benedict XV had a tough time from pretty well everyone, because he condemned no one – so everyone complained about him. He did try very hard to broker peace in Europe in 1917 – but was too early. He also encouraged bishops throughout the ‘Third World’ to build their own Seminaries and form clergy for their own countries. In this he was very successful.

Some people wonder if the name ‘Benedict’ means that the present Pope will only be interested in European affairs (he’s not too keen, at the moment, on Turkey joining the EU, for example) and they are anxious that he might not be so interested in issues around the world. To be honest, I can’t believe that myself – he is just too intelligent and aware of big issues around the world. Anyway, most of us change a wee bit when we get a new job!

Let us pray for our new Pope, that he will indeed be blessed with wisdom and compassion for the flock throughout the world.

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