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Honestly, I was quite upset when I heard about Pope Benedict XVI. Josef Ratzinger embodies most of the conservative things about Pope John Paul II that I didn't like, and more. And by the way, the Catholic "liberals" are not non-practicing - a perfect example is Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini who is a polar opposite of Pope Benedict XVI. The worst thing is not his stance on issues such as birth control or priestly marriage, it is that he will likely continue Pope John Paul II's history of not even being willing to openly discuss these issues. I can accept someone having stances I disagree with if I see that person is willing to consider other arguments, even if he does not accept them in the end. There is no reason he cannot or should not create a panel of Bishops to look into the merits of the changes many of the "liberal Catholics" are calling for. It seems to me that, for all the doors of progress opened with Vatican II, Pope John Paul II slowly began to close them and and Pope Benedict XVI will likely continue. One can only hope the next Pope (who will hopefully come relatively soon) will be someone more like Cardinal Martini who will seriously reevaluate the Church and its position in the world.
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Le temps détruit tout
"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling
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