Pope Benedict
Cardinal Ratzinger has been elected as Pope Benedict.
Over the years I have read more books by him than any of the other cardinals in the conclave. Books I own include Feast of Faith, A New Song for the Lord, Gospel Catechesis Catechism and the interviews Salt of the Earth and The Ratzinger Report.
Here is a passage I tend to agree with:
"The revolt against what has been described as 'the old rubricist rigidity', which was accused of stifling 'creativity', has in fact made the liturgy into a do-it-yourself patchwork and trivialized it, adapting it to our mediocrity." Messori, The Ratzinger Report, (Ignatius Press, 1985) page 126.
A passage I tend to disagree with:
"Therefore it seems to me very dangerous to suggest that missionary liturgies could be created overnight, so to speak, by decisions of Bishops' Conferences, which would themselves be dependent on memoranda drawn up by academics. Liturgy does not come about through regulation. One of the weaknesses of the postconciliar liturgical reform can doubtless be traced to the armchair strategy of academics, drawing up things on paper which, in fact, would presuppose years of organic growth." Feast of Faith, page 81, in an interview with the editor of Communio.
I find it encouraging that the choice of Cardinal Ratzinger election suggests that the cardinals are concerned about liturgy and church discipline.
I have been reading John Allen's book Conclave (Doubleday, 2002) and found it interesting, but he did not include Cardinal Ratzinger in the top 20 candidates.
I was very impressed by Bishop Coleridge's radio interview on the The Religion Report. It was also good to see Father Fessio SJ, of Ignatius Press, on Newshour.
By J.R. Lilburne, 23 April, 2005. Links updated 25 April 2005. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.
Bishop Coleridge interview on The Religon Report
At www.vatican.va