Speaks for itself 

More on Pope Ratzinger

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050419/pl_afp/vaticanpopeus

Here is an interesting link that may help us answer the question: "Is the Pope A Catholic?" The article states that as a Cardinal in charge of the Vatican's "Congregation for the Propigation of the Faith", Ratzinger sent a letter to US bishops telling them to deny Communion to pro-abortion politicians.

If you'd like to read more comments, please go to the blog of my respected friend in Pittsburg, Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer. His blog has a lot of good commentary on the liberal reaction to Ratzinger's elevation.

http://burrintheburgh.blogspot.com/

The New Pope

Like many, I was somewhat surprised that Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope. I was hoping they would go for another Pole, a Lutheran one. But the white smoke didn't blow my way. Oh well.....

The last time the cardinals of Rome elected an elderly man to be a transitional pope they got a rude awakening: John XXIII turned things upside down for Rome.

Why should a Lutheran pastor be particularly interested in a Roman pope? There is an old saying, "When Rome sneezes, Lutherans catch a cold". I don't know the source of that saying, but church history shows it to be true. Through the death of Pius XII (1958) Lutherans, like Rome, enjoyed doctrinal and liturgical stability. Vatican II changed all that for Lutherans, too. The liberal trends found under the popes through John Paul II found their way into Lutheranism as well. Make no mistake: although Popes John XXIII, Paul VI, JPI and JPII were conservative in moral issues and traditional Roman disciplines, they were theologically liberal, and did not make great strides to bring doctrinal discipline to the church. This liberalism was "sneezed" into Lutheranism as well. We have not recovered from this "cold", and in fact, in many places it has become a very serious illness. Doctrinal liberalism, frankly, is killing every church body it has infected, including Rome.

Pope Ratzinger is a conservative theologian who knows the dangers of theological liberalism. I was mightily impressed by his pre-conclave speech given to the Cardinals. If his words spell out an agenda to return Rome to a more doctrinally conservative mooring, I think it will have a good effect on the Protestant and Lutheran world as well. Pope Ratzinger said:


"Having a clear faith, based on the Creed of the Church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism. Whereas, relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and "swept along by every wind of teaching", looks like the only attitude (acceptable) to today's standards. We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires.

"However, we have a different goal: the Son of God, true man. He is the
measure of true humanism. Being an "Adult" means having a faith which does
not follow the waves of today's fashions or the latest novelties. A faith
which is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ is adult and mature. It is
this friendship which opens us up to all that is good and gives us the
knowledge to judge true from false, and deceit from truth. We must become
mature in this adult faith; we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith.
And it is this faith - only faith - which creates unity and takes form in
love."

Sadly, Lutherans, even Missouri Synod Lutherans, do not have leaders with the theological depth and scholarship of Pope Ratzinger. His remarks about an "adult faith" need to be heeded by one and all.

Of course, Pope Ratzinger is Catholic. He may from time to time say things I can agree with. Of course, most of the time, he'll say things I can not. So, on the whole, his surprise election may turn out to be a good thing if it arrests the suicidal liberal drive Rome and others have made.