Oh, I think popes and other tyrants commit cruel acts knowing exactly what they're about.

It's amazing how often the canonization process, which was stolen from the People of God in the first place, is used by the papacy for dishonest and political purposes. And how refreshing to see this man (Ratzinger) called out for what he is. Little good will come of his leadership.

As anyone who reads my blog knows, I am not an admirer of Pope Benedict. In Garry Wills' column, I'm not clear whether he refers to all of the pope's statements throughout the entire visit to the UK, and even before, or to his words at the beatification ceremony.

In all fairness, if Wills refers to the pope's sermon at the beatification ceremony, then he would have done better to read or listen to the sermon before he wrote his column. Wills' critique bears little relationship to what the pope actually said at the ceremony.

June Butler

I think I was hinting at with humor what Gary Wills said.

http://blog.rrchapman.us/2010/09/anglican-assimilation-of-rome/

Blessed John may have switched to the Roman Church, but he never (fully) gave up Anglican sensibilities, as near as I can tell. And, that switch was before Vatican I formalized Papal infallibility.

At the same time, it is safe to say that Blessed John was a forerunner in saying what some of take for granted today in the Episcopal Church.

Could an Archbishop of Canterbury in the 20th Century been so clear on the Anglican Church not having its own doctrine, but that what has been held by the universal church without Newman? (I know a paraphrased that doctrine quote very poorly. Please forgive me for that.)

As far as I can tell, the only source anyone ever bothers to cite in this a this 1991 address which may or may not even reflect Benedict's current thought. One can read through it (though it is long and complex) and see plenty of acknowledgment of Newman's hesistations about papal authority, so at least in that respect I think Wills is misrepresenting the pope.

And that fits into a pattern which has been baldly visible for weeks. It seems to be the done thing these days to construct a dogma about any given public figure and stick to it without any regard to that person's statements or actions. Thus we have a bizarre article in Newsweek stating flatly what the pope and Cantuar would say to each other-- church-political stuff, of course, as though two men who are theologians before all else would miss the chance to discuss that rather than politics.

As far as Benedict is concerned, the dogma is that he is a theological/ecclesiastical enforcer dedicated to the suppression of any dissent in the church, not to mention defending it from all those pedophilia lawsuits. People continue to harp on his nominal membership in the Hitler Youth when all evidence suggests that he cared nothing for it and slipped back to seminary at the first possible chance. I simply do not see the person that Wills insists is there, but I do see Wills as yet another of those hoary old Catholic dissidents who has so much invested in his campaign against Papal Tyranny that he is completely oblivious to Benedict as a theologian whose views are a lot more complex than simply "obey me". It seems to me that even within a more limited, 19th century view of Roman theological process, Wills is beyond the pale, as someone who doesn't feel he has to play the theological game. And he is entitled to quit the game, and he is thus entitled to be shut out of play.

Newman is of course a sore point, but holding on to him as a Catholic dissident is in very deep contradiction to the fact of his conversion. Likewise, the ordinariate is a sore point-- at least it is for me-- and yet we Anglicans have ourselves to blame for working so hard to drive the Anglo-Catholics away. Or I should say, people in positions of power in ECUSA and in the C of E bear that responsibility.

we Anglicans have ourselves to blame for working so hard to drive the Anglo-Catholics away. Or I should say, people in positions of power in ECUSA and in the C of E bear that responsibility.

Or you SHOULD say, Anglo-Papalists, smelling the smelling the collapse of their misogyny dam, decided to flee to the higher dam of Rome. They'll yet learn, that EVERY damn will fail to the flood of God's justice! (Amos 5:24)

JC Fisher