The pope is coming to America.
Its taken Pope Benedict XVI a while to get settled since he took the helm as Vicar ofChrist on April 19, 2005. Not the traveler that his predecessor, Pope John Paul II was, Benedict, already 80, ventured to the Western Hemisphere, as pope, for the first time last May. He addressed the fifth General Conference of Latin American Bishops in Sao Paolo, Brazil, which is the most populated Catholic country.
Pope John Paul II had made seven trips to the U.S. during his 27-year tenure, the last to St. Louis in 1999. The most ambitious was his September 1987 trip that included a 24-hour stop in Tempe and Phoenix. Some of us can remember how historic it was in 1965 when Pope Paul VI (1963-78) made the first trip of any pontiff to the U.S. He spoke to the United Nations in New York City during his short visit.
A year before, he became the first pope to leave Italy in 150 years when he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He then followed that with a trip to India.
Benedict is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C., and New York City April 15-20, 2008 –marking his second anniversary as pope during his stay. The first of two Masses he will celebrate will be in the new Washington Nationals stadium on April 17. He will celebrate another Mass in Yankee Stadium on April 20, something that John Paul II had also done. He also will speak to the United Nations on April 18, but his visit to Ground Zero where the Twin Towers once stood will certainly be a major media moment. And on April 16, Benedict will celebrate his 81st birthday. He will be spending it with all his U.S. bishops, including Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
The Vatican said the American visit is timed to coincide with the establishment of the first Catholic dioceses in the U.S. nearly 200 years ago. Vatican ambassador Archbishop Pietro Sambi said the visit may revive the urgency of the Catholic mission in America.
An August poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, looked at public perceptions of Pope Benedict. He is viewed favorably by 73 percent of those who were familiar enough with him to give an opinion. A similar poll in 1996 of Pope John Paul II gave him 86 percent approval.
The survey found that 46 percent of people who have heard at least a little about the new pope regard him as doing a fair or poor job at promoting good relations with other major religions (38 percent say good or excellent). When Catholic responses were separated as to the popes performance in promoting good interfaith relations, 63 percent of self-identified conservatives Catholic said he was. Fifty percent of moderate Catholics agreed and 45 percent of liberal Catholics said so.
Sixty-eight percent of Catholics said the pope is conservative. People who have heard at least something about him were asked whether they were in general agreement with the popes ideological leanings. Twenty percent said very conservative, 36 percent said conservative, 17 percent said moderate and 5 percent said liberal.
Point of clarification: though the Pope has many tiles, “Vicar of Rome” is not one of them. Perhaps you are confusing it with two of his actual titles: “Vicar of Christ” and “Bishop of Rome”. “Vicar of Rome” sounds like what the pastor of an Anglican parish in Rome might call himself.
A point of clarification: the Pope is not, properly understood, the “Vicar of Rome”. Among his titles are two that are a bit similar, “Vicar of Christ” and “Bishop of Rome”, but he is not the “Vicar of Rome”
That sounds a bit more like a title that the pastor of Anglican parish in Rome might take for himself.
It is strange that the UN is willing to have the pope speak to its members (April, 2008). Benedict XVI ignores the UNAIDS recommendation to use a condom in order to avoid HIV/Aids. Many in the Catholic church are embarrassed by his pronouncements and so why should we let him in this country.
True, a few Catholic bishops have challenged the pope to alter the Vaticans policy to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Latin American, Africa, and around the world. But their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. UNAIDS has repeatedly challenged the churchs do-nothing-abstinence policy which fails to curb the spread of AIDS. Will this conflict prick the popes conscience enough to bring some change?
A considerable number of bishops and cardinals have registered their displeasure with Benedict XVIs speech in June 2005 prohibiting Catholics from using condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS. AIDS activists in Brazil recently called the pope’s teaching criminal. The spread of AIDS should be tackled through fidelity and abstinence and not by condoms, the pope has said. Numerous bishops and cardinals have said this is not the Catholic way.
Six months before the popes 2005 speech, Cardinal Georges
Cottier, the theologian for the papal household, called for a change in
Vatican policy regarding AIDS prevention.
In the Fall of 2005 Bishop Kevin Dowling of South Africa stated
that the Vatican ban on the use of condoms to prevent AIDS was morally
unacceptable.
Cardinals Danneels and Martini joined the chorus of dissent in
April, 2006. They asked for a change in the Popes policy banning the
use of condoms to fight the spread of AIDS. Ironically, the man who
became pope, Joseph Ratzinger, labored in the Vatican for 24 years
defending Catholic orthodoxy and is now being asked: are you
on the right track? Are you really Catholic? The challenge was
formidable. The pope bristled and blinked. He then ordered a
comprehensive review of Catholic teaching on condom use to prevent AIDS.
Over 600 days have passed and we have no final report on the popes study. Officials at the highest level of the church hierarchy are wondering if the pope is teaching correct Catholic principles. Some of these men feel there is a better and more enlightened Catholic perspective. Most of the arguments against the popes stand rest on solid moral and ethical grounds. But the financial costs of this Vatican intransigence is in the millions. Here is why the pope should make a change.
First, a Catholic should respond to human suffering. Time and again we
have heard high ranking bishops say Christians must follow the
commandment: Thou shalt not kill(Deut 5:17). Catholics must be
concerned with human life! This is precisely the meaning of Catholic orthodox doctrine: what is believed always, everywhere, and by all. AIDS has orphaned millions in Latin America, Africa, and other developing countries. Thus papal critics say Catholics should be allowedencouragedto use condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS. It also makes financial sense. Prevention saves lives and money.
Second, Catholics should take action when it is clear they can make a
difference. With 150 million Catholics in Africa and 120 million in
Brazil the pope must help those who are at high risk of contracting AIDS. According to the latest statistics issued on World AIDS day, more than 6,800 people are infected each day by this incurable but preventable disease. Since the Vatican ordered a review of its AIDS prevention policy, at least 4,000,000 new cases of HIV/AIDS have emerged on the planet. Catholic action in favor of the poor and suffering could have saved thousands of lives and millions in health care dollars. Action 5 years ago could have avoided untold millions of deaths. There are 400,000 priests worldwide who could have been engaged in teaching a truly Catholic approach to AIDS prevention. Instead, Peach Corps workers have reported to me that priests in Tanzania tell parishioners not to use condoms to fight the spread of AIDS. Will the pope be a Catholic to these suffering masses and respond positively to his brother Catholic bishops? Will he listen to the youth in Italy? While in Brazil eight months ago the pope offered no new insights about AIDS prevention.
Third, Catholics seek enlightened teachers. Young people today are
looking for moral leadership and scientific integrity. With church attendance and religious affiliation at all time lows for 18 to 30-year-olds in the USA, Catholic leaders must not throw another generation of believers under the bus and drive off into the conservative sunset. The pope and his colleagues may say mass and pray for world peace while visiting the U.S. next April 2008. But now is the time for religion not only to pray their prayers. True holiness calls for meaningful action that values and protects human life as well as precious health care dollars in poor countries. Will the pope subscribe to such uniquely Catholic/Christian principles? Many hope so.
R. John Kinkel, Ph.D., Oakland University, Rochester, Mich is author of the book ‘Chaos in the Catholic Church. (kinkel@oakland.edu)