Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Communities that live full Christian life are antidote to "failure of the West," says Pope

Albacete protests the characterization of Pope Benedict XVI by his critics: namely, that "... he's a reactionary, closed-minded, intolerant. Citing the Pope's latest book, a dialogue with a non-believer on relativism and the "feared failure of Europe and of the West to stand up to the challenges of Islamic fundamentalism," he refers to the Pope's time-honored solution. According to Albacete, Pope Benedict XVI's answer to this "failure of the West" is to institute, as St. Benedict did, communities that live the full Christian life "of humanity, of peace, of joy."

LORENZO ALBACETE ON THE NEW POPE AND THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH



Who is Benedict XVI, and where does he want to take the Catholic Church? On the day the new pope was elected, Charlie Rose interviewed Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete, a leading Catholic theologian and a friend of John Paul II, and asked him that question. The answers may surprise you.

By Charlie Rose

CHARLIE ROSE: Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete was a friend of Pope John Paul II and I am especially pleased to have him at this table to help us understand the selection of the new pope and what it means for the church. Welcome.

LORENZO ALBACETE: Thank you very much.

CHARLIE ROSE: Tell me, you expected this selection?

LORENZO ALBACETE: Yes. Like everyone else. Certainly Cardinal Ratzinger was a leading candidate. But frankly, I was not too sure that he would be elected. Because you've got to admit that he doesn't have a very good image. He has a serious image problem around—among certain segments of the church. And after the triumphant gestures of John Paul II—so many people seemed attracted by him—I thought maybe the cardinals would worry about this image problem.

CHARLIE ROSE: What kind of image problem did he have?

LORENZO ALBACETE: Well, he's a reactionary, closed-minded, intolerant. You name it. You know, he's a monster, and against free thinking. His homily, his last homily, which was the one before the conclave was, was said to be a blunt statement of the need to cut down newness, to find refuge in the old tradition, et cetera, which is completely false. This is not this man. This is not this man at all.

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