There definitely won’t be any fuzzy headed Catholicism for a while longer. I have heard so many good things about him, his kindness, his humbleness, that he is a teacher through and through and well loved by those who know him, always taking the time to speak to everyone.
But he is orthodox, and the usual suspects (Democratic Underground) are already calling him a Nazi and every other unkind name they can come up with. The left and liberals will hate him. Not because he is unkind or evil or egotistical. No, they will hate him because he stands for something. Just as JPII stood for something. Standing there makes you a target for hate, and he will get plenty of it.
My heart is breaking for him now, I am filled with sadness for the burden he takes on. I will pray for him that he knows how much so many of us love him and support him.
Here we go already….
Many blame Ratzinger for decrees from Rome barring Catholic priests from counseling pregnant teens on their options and blocking German Catholics from sharing communion with their Lutheran (search) brethren at a joint gathering in 2003.
Holy tolerance, no communion sharing between two faiths who do not believe the same thing about the Eucharist! No priests telling young girls all of their options, like…. what, abortion? If a Catholic priest starts telling young girls that they can have an abortion, I want off this planet now. There are plenty of people in the world that will tell them about abortions and how easy it is to make their problems go away.
He is theologically orthodox, kind, humble, and he carries a huge burden. That guarantees that the liberals will villify him and his character.
Congratulations…I think your Church made a very wise choice. The new Pope is already aggravating all the right people. :thumbsup: