Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the former Archbishop of Munich and spiritual advisor to John Paul II was elevated to the papacy at an inaugural mass Sunday morning. An acclaimed champion of rigorous conservatism in the modern church, Ratzinger represents a choice indicating that the Vatican remains unwilling to grant proper audience to global concerns and the growing voice of reform within the Roman Catholic church.
In some ways Benedict XVI is an overwhelmingly obvious choice. Christianity’s most fundamental characteristics are upheld by the Catholic leadership, and these are the tenets of the faith most universally admirable. Virtues like charity, humility and subservience to the greater good, or God if you like, are qualities revered by all Catholics. Ratzinger makes for a sterling representative in this arena.
For the same reason church purists and secularists alike found John Paul II so appealing, we see in the new holy father a man marked by humble piety, personal integrity and remarkable scholarship. What he lacks in worldly excellence by comparison — the well-traveled savvy of international politics — may very well be gained in good time.
But, along these lines, it has been the hope of many Euro-nationalists that the former Cardinal will revise his views concerning the future of the European Union. Ratzinger has famously opposed the admission of Turkey because of its predominantly Muslim heritage. He has even suggested that it should associate with other countries of similar culture, identifying Europe not by its economic or political interdependence but by it Christian roots. Such a segregationist attitude seems incongruous with the spirit of openness cultivated by his predecessor.
An increasing number of Catholic progressives have also coincided with Catholicism’s recent global success. The former pope’s extension of the Holy See’s jurisdiction has increased the fold to 1.1 billion souls, and many of them have expressed disagreement with some church policies. This dissenting faction has been labeled by the new pontiff as the unseemly result of moral relativism and liberalism, an association I find particularly ghastly and profoundly misguided.
The role of women in church ministry has recently been challenged. Benedict’s position has been a classical maintenance of the paternal order — women are barred from the priesthood. It is not so far in spirit from the subjugation of burkha-clad women in the Middle East. One would observe that in most other contexts, there are few who would argue that “tradition” is an adequate excuse for sexism. Furthermore, this practice has always seemed to suggest quite plainly that Catholic women are less godly than Catholic men — an unattractive distinction for more than half of the faithful.
Homosexuality is a similar case. Ratzinger’s classic Judeo-Christian view is that this is an abomination to God’s planning, and this has been more recently evolved by conservative politics into the supposition that alternative lifestyles of any kind will speed the erosion of the family unit. The latter is undoubtedly more sensitive to the institution of divorce, a practice about which the church has recently seemed more tolerant. But whether the bigotry of sexual orientation is shielded by selected biblical citations or an erroneous view of social welfare, its hateful essence remains unchanged and seems markedly out of sync with the teachings of Jesus.
The advent of modern science and medicine has energized the debate on reproductive rights. Women are downtrodden by Catholic orthodoxy as being without any right to choose, and the new pope even opposes contraception. An unwavering viewpoint here can be particularly dangerous, especially when so many Catholic countries are plagued by sexually transmitted disease, overpopulation, and extreme poverty. A papal admonition regarding stem cell research will probably also persist under Benedict’s leadership, despite cries of necessity from the scientific community.
As the modern church flourishes, it should be a priority to elevate leaders who not only uphold the faith and dignity of Catholicism but also can fulfill the growing needs of its constituency. While one must applaud the selection of Cardinal Ratzinger for his personal excellence, one should earnestly hope that he will be positively transformed by his new office.
