THE TEACHING OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

Let me offer a few observations about our new Pope Benedict XVI, this great theologian and humble laborer in the Lord’s vineyard! Never in the past century has the choice of a pontiff been spoken about in a language so critical, clear and sharp. He has been labeled a conservative. At the last Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica the day the Conclave began, the Cardinal re-proposed his agenda with the words of the apostle Paul: the goal is that of “being adults in the faith,” and not “children in a state of guardianship, tossed about by the waves and carried here and there by every wind of doctrine.” He warned about “a dictatorship of relativism which recognizes nothing as definitive and leaves as the ultimate standard one’s own personality and desires.”  Against this “deceit of men,” Ratzinger opposed the principle and said that “we have, instead, a different standard: the Son of God, the true man,” who is also “the standard of true humanism” and “the criterion for discerning between the true and the false, between deception and truth.”

“We must foster the maturity of this adult faith; we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith.” And it doesn’t matter if “having a clear faith according to the Church’s creed is frequently labeled fundamentalism.” Over the years, accusations of fundamentalism have been heaped upon this German theologian who today is the head of the Catholic Church.

One of Cardinal Ratzinger’s favourite models was Saint Charles Borromeo, the archbishop of Milan who, after the Council of Trent, did nothing less than reconstruct the Catholic Church, which was almost destroyed in the area around Milan as well, without returning to the Middle Ages to do so; on the contrary, he created a modern form of the Church.

Today the transformations in civilization are no less epochal, in Ratzinger’s eyes. The culture that has established itself in Europe “constitutes the most radical possible contradiction, not only of Christianity, but also of the religious traditions of humanity,” he argued last year on April 1, 2005 at Subiaco, at his last public conference during the reign of John Paul II. And therefore the Church must react with all the courage it can muster, not conforming itself to the times, not falling to its knees before the world, but “bringing, with holy consternation, the gift of faith to all, the gift of friendship with Christ.” Cardinal Ratzinger ended his opening Conclave homily on April 18 in Saint Peter’s Basilica by invoking a world “changed from a vale of tears to the garden of God.”

The gap between caricature and reality was evident when the world saw and heard the real Cardinal Ratzinger deliver his remarkable, moving homily at the funeral of his predecessor, John Paul II. The gap widened more when we heard the Dean of the College of Cardinals address his brother Cardinals at the beginning of the Conclave.  And now the gap slowly disappears when we see the German Cardinal “watchdog-turned-shepherd” wear the pallium, the ring and the shoes of the fisherman, and speak to millions and millions of people through profound words and gestures of kindness, humility, great humanity and crystal clarity.

His exercise of the papal office is in many ways far more traditional than that of his predecessor, John Paul II, who made a career out of shattering antique norms. Yet at 79, with nothing left to prove, never facing reelection, and carrying an enormous burden he never sought, Benedict exhibits a remarkable interior freedom by the standards of major world leaders. Is it any wonder that so many young adults are members of the “Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club?” Many brother priests, theological and scripture colleagues, and “illuminated” pastoral workers have expressed to me utter disgust and disbelief in this phenomenon!

As you may know, Pope Benedict XVI is receiving the Canadian Bishops throughout this year for their “Ad Limina” Visits. On May 11, he addressed the Bishops of Quebec, touching upon the important themes of pluralism, subjectivism and increasing secularization that are present in Quebec culture. The Pope said in his concluding address to the Quebec Bishops:

"Apart from the drop in the number of priests which at times makes it impossible to celebrate Sunday Mass in certain places, what is particularly worrying is the place occupied by sacramentality in the life of the Church. The requirements of pastoral organization must not compromise authentic ecclesiology. ... The central role of the priest - who 'in persona Christi capitis,' teaches, sanctifies and rules the community - must not be diminished."

"The importance of the role of the laity, for whose generosity in serving Christian communities I am most grateful, must never obscure the absolutely irreplaceable ministry of priests in the life of the Church. Consequently, priestly ministry cannot be entrusted to others without effectively prejudicing the very authenticity of the Church's being. Moreover, how will young men want to become priests if the role of ordained ministry is not clearly defined and recognized?

Despite these problems, "the thirst for renewal perceptible in the faithful is a sign of hope," said Pope Benedict, and he went on to refer to "the positive impact" on young Canadians of World Youth Day, celebrated in Toronto in 2002, and of the Year of the Eucharist, which awoke a fresh interest in Eucharistic adoration.”

The Pope then went on to thank Canadian institutes of consecrated life for the "apostolic and spiritual commitment of their members," highlighting how "consecrated life is a gift of God benefiting the entire Church and serving life in the world." Hence, it must take place in a context of "solid ecclesial communion." On this subject, Benedict XVI invited consecrated men and women "to work ever more closely with pastors, welcoming and spreading Church doctrine in all its integrity."

On May 20, during his meeting with the Bishops of the Atlantic Region, Pope Benedict XVI said:

“Additionally you have with good reason underlined the fine contribution of Religious Sisters and Brothers to the mission of the Church. This deep appreciation of consecrated life is rightly accompanied by your concern for the decline in Religious vocations in your country. A renewed clarity is needed to articulate the particular contribution of Religious to the life of the Church: a mission to make the love of Christ present in the midst of humanity. Such clarity will give rise to a new kairos, with Religious confidently reaffirming their calling and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, proposing afresh to young people the ideal of consecration and mission. I again assure Religious Priests, Brothers and Sisters of the vital witness they provide by placing themselves without reserve in the hands of Christ and of the Church, as a strong and clear proclamation of God’s presence in a way understandable to our contemporaries.”

Last week during his pastoral visit to Poland, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the monks, nuns, seminarians and representatives of ecclesial movements, at the historic Jasna Góra Marian shrine. The Holy Father said:  

“At the moment of your religious profession or promises, faith led you to a total adherence to the mystery of the Heart of Jesus, whose treasures you have discovered. You then renounced such good things as disposing freely of your life, having a family, acquiring possessions, so as to be free to give yourselves without reserve to Christ and to his Kingdom. Do you remember your enthusiasm when you began the pilgrimage of the consecrated life, trusting in the grace of God? Try not to lose this first fervor, and let Mary lead you to an ever fuller adherence. Dear men and women religious, dear consecrated persons! Whatever the mission entrusted to you, whatever cloistered or apostolic service you are engaged in, maintain in your hearts the primacy of your consecrated life. Let it renew your faith. The consecrated life, lived in faith, unites you closely to God, calls forth charisms and confers an extraordinary fruitfulness to your service.”

Benedict’s prophetic words have been accompanied by simple, profound gestures that have endeared him to the younger generation.

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