UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
It didn’t take long. Already reportedly some in the Vatican want the Pope to live elsewhere and John Paul II’s former secretary expresses criticism of the resignation decision. Meanwhile, the most many offer is faint praise for Joseph Ratzinger’s writings that evidentally took essential time away from his main duty to manage, for which many knowledgeable observers give him an “F” grade. Have Vatican Cardinals outfoxed the German Shepherd? He cannot “unresign”. Surely the Spirit has a sense of humor! The man responsible for exiling many scholars arbitrarily now has risked arbitrary exile himself.
But at this point does any of this matter to most Catholics worldwide? While it may seem overly pessimistic to say so soon that the next Pope will likely fail too, it is just being realistic; and yet there is also room for much optimism. The papal resignation is tantamount to an admission of failure and will lead to de-mystification of the papacy quickly. Pope Benedict XVI, soon to again be non-Pontiff, Joseph Ratzinger, and his Vatican clique led by Cardinal Sodano et al., have already set the stage for the next failure.
The sudden call for a quick election conclave substantiallly diminishes any chance of a real opposition being mounted by non-Vatican Cardinals. Since the Pope apparently knew for some time he would resign, the suddenness seems well planned. Ratzinger will soon be living a few hundred yards away from the new Pope in his refurbished retirement base, hardly a monastery.
Ratzinger and Sodano already likely know who will be the next Pope and one would be foolish to bet against them. Perhaps Cardinals might save some money by just mailing in blank proxies to Sodano. …
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