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The Spectacle Blog
He was only to be an interim pope; a placeholder. That’s what was said of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger upon his election to the papacy in 2005. Instead, over the course of eight short years, he left an indelible mark as a leader of thought and unity. His greatest legacy will probably be his theological scholarship. But a close second will be his attempts to bring Catholics together, integrating the Latin Tridentine Mass, reaching out to the Eastern Orthodox, and even opening a dialogue with the Society of Pius X. He was famously taciturn, but expanded the Church’s ministry and started the first papal Twitter account. He was a dogmatic traditionalist, but inspired many with the openness and suppleness of his thought.
What to expect in the coming days? There will be plenty of speculation over Benedict’s legacy (“seen as both conservative and contentious,” clucked the New York Times, evidently after surveying two of its lifestyle editors). Horse-race journalism, dormant since Obama was reelected, will reemerge to breathe heavily about the coming Conclave. St. Malachy’s Prophecy of the Popes will shorten many sleep cycles (Benedict is the last pope predicted before Peter the Roman takes over and, as Malachy puts it rather flippantly, “The End”).
But for today, let’s content ourselves with remembering Pope Benedict XVI, a good man and the first to abdicate voluntarily since Celestine V. This young Catholic, who was unsure what to expect when the John Paul II era ended, will be forever grateful for his leadership.
Al Adab| 2.11.13 @ 12:23PM
One of the greatest theologians of the era. His books and writings as well as his homilies are a treasure house of insightful thought.
Arinze, and let The Left have a field day with that one.
CJW| 2.11.13 @ 1:31PM
Al Adab
Which of his books do you like, I have the ones on Jesus.
Al Adab| 2.11.13 @ 2:10PM
W:
I too have the three Jesus books, plus his On the Way to Jesus Christ and Introduction to Christianity. Lots of thoughtful meat in those.
BTW one of the Papabili is Cardinal Turkson who has the first name Peter. Would not that be interesting as the list runs out with Peter the Roman.
CJW| 2.11.13 @ 3:37PM
Al Adab
I have those three, pls Without Roots, The Ratzinger Report,, and The Apostles. Just bought John Paul's Man and Woman, He Created Them, A Theology of the Body. Hope the next one continues the tradition. Pope Peter!
PatrickO| 2.11.13 @ 1:09PM
Well said, Matt. Thank you. I miss B16 already.
Ryan| 2.11.13 @ 1:21PM
Much like his predecessor, I think Benedict did well in representing the Church as a whole. Though I am not Protestant, the Pope is - for good or ill - the most well-known representative of Christianity to the world.
Now let the left get ready for the uproar when another Pope is elected who does not hold to leftism.
Occam's Tool| 2.11.13 @ 7:15PM
A decent fellow and leader of his flock.
The next one, if he is young, will have to face the Rise of Jihad.
JP| 2.11.13 @ 8:12PM
Yes, Italy will more than likely have a Muslim majority by 2050. Makes me ill just thinking about it.
Kingofthenet| 2.11.13 @ 10:02PM
The Holy See, had Crosses to carry, the likes of which we will never know, Heavy Crosses of Solid Gold. Will will now pray for the Staving Children, while the Pontiff holds his huge Gold Cross.
spike59| 2.12.13 @ 5:50AM
" Will will now pray for the Staving Children, while the Obamessiah holds his huge Gold Putter, and in royal luxury (paid for, along with his many multimillion dollar vacations, with the confiscated earnings of those fortunate enough to still have jobs) mere blocks from many of those same starving children."
there-fixed it for ya
irish19| 2.12.13 @ 10:28AM
Nice one, Spike!