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	Faithful Ask: Who Is Benedict? By Andrew Perlot Record-Journal April 20, 2008 http://www.myrecordjournal.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19500790&BRD=2755&PAG=461&dept_id=592709&rfi=6 In trying times, in changing circumstances, what does a visit by the leader of the 76.9 million U.S. Catholics mean? Pope Benedict XVI, since his election in 2005, has left his policies firmly ensconced in traditional Catholic values, while at the same time making some practical updates to deal with the modern eras's new challenges. Yet the American Catholic Church, the largest church in the country, is awash with problems. Parish schools and churches in some areas are closing for lack of parishioners. Too few priests are enrolling to replace the faith's aging shepherds. Lawsuits are still being fought over the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests. And certain disaffected Catholics feel the church has not adequately addressed their concerns over contraception, divorce, gay marriage and other social issues. In Meriden, only three Catholic schools remain where once there were seven. St. Mary's School closed in 2007. St. Laurent closed 10 years ago. St. Rose shut in 1992 and Holy Angels closed 20 years prior to that. Throughout Meriden, Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire, parishes that once were served by two or three priests are now often served by one. Several parishes have had to be linked so that a single priest can look after both, like Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Laurent churches in Meriden. During the pope's six-day trip to the U.S., culminating with a Mass to be attended by 57,000 American Catholics at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, Benedict has stressed the importance of traditional Catholic worship and its ability to solve the dilemmas of the age. "He's very conscious of the fact that his mission is to bring the message of Christ to the faithful as a source for peace and the goodness," said the Rev. Jeffrey Gubbiotti, a priest at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Wallingford. "From there, once you can turn your eyes toward Jesus, answers to other concrete questions - economic, moral - all those questions will have deeper answers. We try to categorize him and see how he'll play out, but he just transcends any of those categories." The pope's views do not fall squarely on one side of the American political spectrum of conservative or liberal, but he instead presents a portfolio of opinions that is decidedly Catholic. Benedict is against the war in Iraq because it was a pre-emptive war and he has spoken out strongly in defense of the environment, but he also embraces many conservative-agenda items, such as opposing abortion and most forms of stem cell research. He views gay unions as threatening the future of the family, opposes capital punishment, and derides the excesses of capitalism and the materialism that it brings on. Gubbiotti met the pope when Benedict was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, and he describes him as a pious, brilliant theologian who radiates compassion. "Above all, as a good shepherd, he'll look for the lost sheep," Gubbiotti said. "I'm sure he'll offer an invitation to come back home to the Church ... as opposed to a particular issue of a school or a parish closing." The same old issues Most of the social issues Catholics are upset about are not new, said Brennan Pursell, an associate history professor at DeSales University in Allentown, Pa., and the author of a new book on the pope, "Benedict of Bavaria" (CirclePress.org). People "have been asking the church the same things for 30 years," Pursell said. "Divorce, married priests - it's the same kind of parade. The answer to these things will be, you know, the Catholic Church can't say yes to everything. It wouldn't be the Catholic Church anymore." But what the pope won't do is berate or browbeat people over their sins and indiscretions, he said. "Yes, he will broach a couple of the things that make people so upset in this country," Pursell said. "The priest pedophile scandal has been awful. My sense is it's being cleared up. That will end that story." Dolores Longo, a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners in Southington, said that she has always had strong faith, but the recent priest child abuse issue was difficult for her. "We've all had concerns about what was going on in the church," she said. "But now it seems like that's well under control. I think it's wonderful that he came here and that the people in America can meet him." Benedict has made some changes to church doctrine to clear up murky moral areas and firmly state what actions are unacceptable. Under Benedict, environmental pollution, genetic manipulation, obscene wealth, infliction of poverty and drug trafficking, among other offenses, have been added to the list of deadly sins, or those sins that can cause a person to go to hell. Carmine Trotta, 60, was baptized at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Meriden and remains a parishioner there today. He received tickets to the Yankee Stadium Mass for himself and his wife from among the eight allotted to the parish, and said that he couldn't wait to see the pope in person. "As good as (previous Pope John Paul II) was, I feel that Benedict will be just as good," he said. By adding the environment to things to be protected, the pope has shown himself to be concerned with modern issues instead of just abstract theology, he said. "He's thinking outside the box," Trotta said. "These are modern times. It's important." Benedict has stated his intention to put solar panels on various buildings throughout the Vatican. The Rev. David Carey, pastor of the linked parishes of Mount Carmel and St. Laurent, said that while some parishes and schools are contracting, others are expanding. "I think the Church is very cohesive," he said. "It's been around for 2000 years. There's no reason to believe it won't be around for the foreseeable future." Instead of individually addressing groups seeking the liberalization of the church, the pope has stressed the importance of getting away from a relativist worldview that lets parishioners view cohabitation before marriage, gay marriage and divorce in a favorable light. "Relativism says that basically there is no absolute truth, that what's good for me is good for you," said Gubbiotti, of Holy Trinity. Benedict says, "There is an objective truth that transcends the individual subject." Gubbiotti led his church's youth group to a papal youth rally in New York Saturday. He expected the pope to speak to the teenagers not only about relativism, but also the importance of not eschewing faith for materialism. "He may try to reach out to the kids to use their reason and not get caught up in the cultural stream," Gubbiotti said. Straightforward piety But a number of Catholics view Benedict's absolutism as being increasingly out of step with the Catholics he represents. Polls have shown that 63 percent of Catholics support civil unions, and that number continues to rise, said Jeff Stone, a spokesman for Dignity USA, which represents gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics. Polls have also shown that a large number of former Catholics in the U.S. have drifted away from the church, he said. "The church is a big tent," he said. It needs to welcome all these people back in and engage them where they are instead of lecturing to them." "It's tragic, in a way, that the church has lost moral credibility with Catholics because of these issues. We agree with many of the things the pope is saying on this trip - peace, love, acceptance of all people - but we think that should include gay people also." Beginning in the late 1960s, his organization functioned out of Catholic churches until the pope - then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - said in 1986 that organizations not in line with church teachings on homosexuality should not be allowed on Church property. But priests continue to defy the church teachings to say special Masses for chapters of his organization, Stone said, proving that support for his cause is fairly widespread. "There are always some Catholics that are dissatisfied," said Pursell, the professor from DeSales University. "Historians will tell you that the church is always in one crisis or another. It's up to the popes to deal with this. "Benedict wants to come and tell people that love and truth are real, that they are valuable. Some Americans will say he's reserved. For those who want to listen and concentrate for 20 minutes, he's going to give you something to listen to. The guy is a world-class intellectual. "Amongst the people in Germany that have known him for decades, and even some journalists who have written nasty things about him, there's this unanimity: He's a gentleman. He's a humble, unassuming person. He insists on traditional Catholicism. Simple, straightforward piety is beautiful. He'll say it here, he'll say it there, and I think people will be struck by how beautiful it is, even if it rankles sensibilities." Contact: aperlot@record-journal.com.
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