Happy Birthday to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who today turns 94 years old. He is about one year younger than Queen Elizabeth who turns 95 next week on Wednesday.
Who'd have thought that Pope Benedict would still be around 8 years after his retirement? I'm sorry he left so soon. He is a deep and complex character with much to offer to the Church. I have written about the potential damage being done by the current pontiff. While Pope Benedict offered, in what some might see as stereotypically German, clarity, Pope Francis on the other hand tends to offer confusion.
Pope Francis has done some good things as well, but it mainly seems like virtue-signaling to appeal to enemies of the Church. I will leave it to readers to make that evaluation.
I think Pope Benedict got a bad rap. He was attacked in the media, but it was all based on some kind of emotional reaction to him. "He doesn't look all that friendly". Stuff like that. As if that has anything to do with anything. Most people only know what the media tell them. They hear he is strict or orthodox or conservative, etc. and that's about all they know.
In reality, Pope Benedict wrote 66 books, 3 encyclicals and 3 exhortations, on a wide range of topics. He was an esteemed professor at several universities and became a full professor at the age of 31.
Over his career, Pope Benedict became more and more conservative as he saw the problems afflicting a more liberal point of view in the Church. He staunchly defended traditional Catholic doctrines.
To be honest, I have not read a large number of Pope Benedict's books, but I think it is something worth doing.
So Happy Birthday Pope Benedict, we miss you!
Reading this quote, "Over his career, Pope Benedict became more and more conservative as he saw the problems afflicting a more liberal point of view in the Church.", I'm wondering what examples you have that he became more and more conservative?
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily think he showed movement in that direction, and your framing of it sounds quite political, with the use of words "liberal" and "conservative". I see a consistency in Benedict's papacy that relates to his time as the head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith, and even to his writings before that.
Genuinely curious as to where you see the movement of "becoming more and more conservative?"