April 24, 2005

The New Pope...A Few Thoughts

Full disclosure here...I'm not a Catholic. So why the heck am I writing about the new Pope? Well, I'm kind of tired of hearing all of the whining that's going on about who was chosen and why.

First of all, let's remember that religion (any and all religion) is a matter of faith. Period. You either believe or you don't believe. That being said, the Catholic church has been the subject of much antagonism for the past couple of decades or so. Why?

Part of it, I would venture to say, is because the Catholic church stands for certain morals and values that have come to be seen as passŽ in today's secular world. A non-recognition of homosexuals and forbidding the use of contraception are major issues for practicing Catholics. Now, I myself have issues with forbidding the use of contraception and non-recognition of homosexuals (although I'm not for any church-sanctioned gay marriage), but not being Catholic, I don't have to worry about it.

Of course there was the child-sexual-abuse scandal and church officials' roles in covering it up for so many years. That was wrong, and the church is now taking steps to rectify it. But is the church alone in trying to avert a public relation scandal in relation to sex abuse? Just look at the abuse scandal in the Congo under the UN's watch, and the recent events at an Ohio high school where the principal was fired because she failed to notify the police when a disabled girl was sexually assaulted (raped, really) by other students.

Many Catholics seem to be upset with these and other aspects of following the faith, and the fact that the new Pope is a strict traditionalist has gotten a lot of attention. Andrew Sullivan has been having hissy fits for the past week or so...and he is just the tip of the iceberg. What the heck is going on?

I'm thinking that if certain aspects of the Catholic faith are just too much, start shopping for another branch of Christianity...there's plenty to choose from. The Catholic church isn't here to appease secularists in their never-ending quest to apply their moral relativity and PC standards to each and every aspect of our lives. It's here to preach the word of Jesus Christ, and it has certain standards it expects its members to adhere to. (And for those who make mistakes along the way, as we all do, go to confession...isn't that what it's there for?)

As for the new Pope, he was elected by his peers because they felt he would do a good job in upholding the teachings of the church. That's why they have a Pope. Heading the church isn't a popularity contest, so keep his age and ethnicity out of the equation. If the cardinals had thought an African cardinal would make the best Pope at this time, he would have been the one voted in. Get over it already.

And for those who are not Catholic but who are complaining and criticizing, I say to them as well: get over it. Why get upset over the election of a religious head of state who doesn't preside over your religious persuasion? It's like moaning and groaning over the election of a president in a country you don't live in...oh wait, that happened in Europe when President Bush was re-elected.

Those are my two cents...for what it's worth.

Note: Two Dogs over at Mean Ol' Meany has a few words to say on the subject, as does Pat, one of the bloggers over at Lifelike Pundits.

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