The more he talks...
... the less I like him.I have never, ever before in my life doubted my faith and my Church. Not when priests were molesting children, not when I watched friends turned away. I may have disagreed, but I remained strong.
Enter Pope Benedict.
For the first time in my life, I wonder if I'm where I'm supposed to be. He is doing everything in his power to undo Vatican II. First it was the Latin mass. Then yesterday he has single-handedly undone decades of ecumenicalism by saying that Catholicism is the one true church and all other Christian religions are "defective."
Is this asshole even from Earth? I know he's from Germany and used to be a Nazi. Maybe that explains it all.
I hate that I think the leader of my church is a big, giant asshole and that I hope that he passes on because that's the only way we can get a new pope. Is that awful? Yeah, it is, and I know that. But how can one man be allowed to undo decades of good will in such a short time?
I really hate that I so strongly dislike this man. But I disliked him when he was Cardinal Ratzinger and caused all the backlash against John Kerry, and I dislike him more now. (Oh, and just FYI, the only time I have ever deliberately chosen not to go to church and struggled with my faith before was in 2004 after I saw how Kerry was treated by his brothers and sisters in the Lord. Coincidence? Probably not.)
I don't always go with the flow where my religion is concerned. I love being Catholic and I love God, Jesus and the blessed Virgin Mary. I am a good Catholic, for the most part.
And I worry that my church is going to abandon me, and I don't know where I'll go.
And I hate that.
And much like that evil, nasty nun that we had in grade school, I'm starting to form a great dislike for the Holy Father. In fact, I cringe to call him that. I think I'm just going to call God that from now on.
I know he's just a man, and I can't go to hell for disliking him. He's human, and not really infalliable at all. I get that. But I still feel awful because I wish he'd go far, far away and shut up.
posted by Laura at
10:48 AM
7 comment(s):
Maybe I'm totally out of order on this one, but I think thagt's the biggest problem I have had with Catholicism. . . "I'm afraid my church will abandon me" says it all.
I think that is the picture most people have of Catholicism, if you screw up you're out. Don't agree? You're out. Is that how it really should be? How better to reach people than to be seeker friendly. State the beliefs of the church and allow others to come around to it. If God truly intervenes, and touches lives than the truth will set that person free, not all the other garbage . . .
I'm sorry you're struggling with this, it's a tough place to be.
By
Sheri, at
7/11/2007 2:18 PM
I don't really think that my Church would abandon me. And I know that my God never would. However, I do believe this pope has every intention of ridding the church of every person who doesn't meet his ridiculous requirements.
I'm sure the joke will be on him when we get to heaven.
By
Laura, at
7/11/2007 2:35 PM
whew!
I feel better that you said that.
All that junk he (the new pope fellow) has been saying has been MY problem with Catholics. Then I met cool Catholics like you and thought that I just ran across a few bad ones. (Like people run across bad fundies.)
Then he started lipping off and I didn't know what to do.
I still don't.
Perhaps we should send the racing nun (stalkerati) over to work for him and he will go insane?
By
Unknown, at
7/11/2007 4:33 PM
My mom left the church about 6 months ago because of Ratzinger's stance (and her local priest's stance) on gay people. This turned out to be a good move on her part because my brother came out this week.
By
Anonymous, at
7/12/2007 10:25 AM
But Sparkles, your mom shouldn't have had to leave. I don't believe other Christians are going to hell, but I do believe that based on the progression of events that Jesus himself did start what became Catholicism. And Jesus, we all know, loved everyone. He loved hookers, tax collectors, lepers, sinners, people with disabilities ... Everyone. I'll bet he even loved a few gay folk, because those of you know read here know that I don't believe people deliberately choose to be gay.
All any of us really know to be true is the 10 Commandments and the Golden Rule. I'd like to believe that if we try our best to follow that, we'll be OK.
Ratzinger doesn't know any better than the rest of us. I think it's outrageous that he says now that we're all confused about what Vatican II said. After 40-some years? Seriously, dude, get a grip.
I've decided I'm not leaving. We can't let him run off the progressive Catholics who are truly committed to doing Jesus' will, unlike him and his zealot friends.
By
Laura, at
7/12/2007 10:50 AM
And that's exactly what I like about you Laura!
By
Sheri, at
7/12/2007 11:12 AM
This El Papa is an interesting fella! I hear ya on all your points. I was a staunch Catholic & didn't believe the rumors that my priest was molesting boys - even when they arrested him & he plead "no contest." People laughed when I just didn't believe it all. I felt utterly betrayed when he was caught a few years later outside an elementary school near the place in New Mexico where they sent these priests to be "re-educated." Today, I no longer practice Catholicism. Charlene
By
Anonymous, at
7/18/2007 10:49 PM
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