When German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI there were two reactions in the square and around the world: great relief on the part of some — and great disappointment on the part of others.
The reason: the new Pope Benedict XVI, in his earlier incarnation, was known as the Vatican’s prime guardian of doctrinal orthodox, an efficient and unabashedly conservative on social issues who closely to maintain traditions with Pope John Paul II. In other words, those who want continuity got it and those who wanted change don’t see it happening.
This reaction is evident from reports on the scene, a scan of Internet sites where readers are leaving comments and particularly from an exhaustive look at Internet weblogs.
We looked at all three, and here’s a summary of what we found:
ON THE SCENE: The New York Times notes the split in the crowd’s reaction when the new Pope was announced:
But the reaction was decidedly mixed when Cardinal Ratzinger’s name was announced. Some slapped and shouted jubilantly. But an equal number stood by silently and listened. A small number of people wandered out of the square as he spoke.
Those who supported the election of Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, saw him as a force of continuity with his wildly popular predecessor, John Paul II – even if they were not terribly enamored or familiar with the new pope himself.
“I happy because I respect the ideas and ideals of the previous pope and I think he’ll continue in just like the old one,” said Alberto Napoleone, 34, of Rome.
And:
But many in the crowd were openly and greatly distressed by the choice of the new pope – widely regarded as an extreme conservative on a wide variety of social issues. This included many Catholics who said he would take the church in the wrong direction.
“I am very, very upset because I was hoping for a more open pope, one who was more open to the problems of the world,” said Paolo Tasselli, a retired bank worker and a practicing Catholic, who said he had hoped the church would give more rights to women and be more involved in social issues.
One reason for the controversy: like John Paul II, the new Pope has been around for a while, written articles and given interviews. His views are out there.
ON INTERNET OPINION BOARDS such as Egyptian Election Daily News you can see the split as well. Here are a few pro and con quotes from a quote-packed page:
I am joyful that we have a new Pope! It is good that he is someone that was close to John Paul II so he can continue his magnificent work.
Miguel Velasco, Mexico City, MexicoMore years of oppression for women wanting to use contraception and more innocent lives lost in AIDS-stricken Africa and South America. Shame on the Catholic Church and its followers who maintain support for such teachings.
Lyn, LondonAnother blow for liberalism as the church follows the political world and lurches further to the right.
Ed Carberry, Belfast, UKAn excellent choice of Pope, I am delighted and wish him all the best.
Ian, Glasgow
BLOGS: But perhaps some of the most blunt debate and commentary comes from the Internet’s citizen journalist weblogs. Here’s an extensive cross section that is not limited to one viewpoint, religion or ideology. We reccommend you read the full, original posts:
—Glenn Reynolds, aka InstaPundit has a thought-provoking round up that grows as you read this.
—Relapsed Catholic:”Went in a Pope, came out a Pope. A German cardinal is now Pope Benedict XVI. Ratzinger’s election will annoy all the right people. As I’ve said before, I hope his resemblance to Mr. Burns and Nosferatu, along with his Stalag 13 name, won’t turn everyone off at once. I prefer him to Arinze, who made veiled “America asked for it” remarks after 9/11.”
—Donald Sensing (who is a clergyman) sees Ratzinger as a transitional figure:
Both Ratzinger’s friends and theological opponents agree that he is quite orthodox and very conservative. He is also either 77 or 78 years old…and is already being referred to as a short-termer and a signal by the College of Cardinals to the worldwide Catholic Church that the basic nature of Vatican theology and policy under John Paul II will not change. (If anything, Ratzinger is more conservative than John Paul was.) I am personally surprised to see another European elected; there were very strong candidates from South America and Africa. Vatican watchers willo be paying careful attention to Pope Bendict’s early moves in the office.
–Oxblog’s Patrick Belton:” Personally I was hoping for a cuddly Italian liberal. But a conservative German with the nickname ‘the enforcer’ was probably my second choice.”
—Americablog’s John Aravosis blasts the new Pope for his comments on violence against homosexuals (and posts some of his past comments):”Gee, this sounds like pure Senator Cornyn talking about the judges. Sure, violence is wrong, but fags shouldn’t be surprised when their own existence invites violence. Spoken like a true former member of the Hitler Youth.”
—Pennywit writes:”… consider me disappointed that the Cadrinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was elevated to pontiff… Formerly charged with enforcing doctrine within the church, the German Benedict seems like a very … conventional … choice to be the Catholic Church’s next leader.”
—Citizen Smash has a great roundup and writes:”Benedict XVI does not appear to be a “man of mystery” on issues of faith.”
—Andrew Sullivan blasts the choice:
It would be hard to over-state the radicalism of this decision. It’s not simply a continuation of John Paul II. It’s a full-scale attack on the reformist wing of the church. The swiftness of the decision and the polarizing nature of this selection foretell a coming civil war within Catholicism. The space for dissidence, previously tiny, is now extinct. And the attack on individual political freedom is just beginning.
—Cobb:”He is a humble man says Rev. David O’Connell, and considers himself an imperfect instrument working in the vineyards of Christ. This suggests to me that he is subdued to the doctrine. I like this.”
—Daily Kos’ CT warns some on the left to cool their anti-Pope rhetoric:
There are many reasons to criticize the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, like his stances on women and gays in the church, social issues, his work in crushing liberation theology, his comments in regards to the priest sexual abuse scandals, and his generally conservative views. Calling him a Nazi, however, is unfounded and unfair, and only serves to demean us…Unfounded accusations are unfair, and will only serve to give the wingers more ammunition. Call him conservative, call him reactionary, call him old, call him surly, call him the wrong choice. Just don’t call him a Nazi.
—Wizbang’s Paul:”As soon as I saw the white smoke -and well before the new pope was announced- I predicted it would take some moron 2 hours to whine about the choice of pope. I apologize to the Wizbang readers for underestimating the stupidity of some on the left.”
—Boi From Troy:
Like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Benedict XVI is the son of a teutonic policeman who served the Nazi regime. Unlike the California Governor, Ratzinger was a member of Hitler Youth and served in the German military in World War II. He job was to defend the BMW factory though…Also unlike the Governator, who sees himself as an agent of change, Benedict XVI foreshadows more of the same…in Hollywood terms: John Paul II II.
—Dean Esmay:”My, that was fast. He’s 78. Interesting…”
—Robert Tagorda at Outside the Beltway:
That last paragraph, which suggests that Ratzinger is authoritarian, requires context. Though he is indeed doctrinally conservative, he doesn’t necessarily have a predisposition to stamping out dissenting voices….In addition, Ratzinger’s preference for “a smaller Church” isn’t simply “[i]n the name of orthodoxy.” He believes that large bureaucracies can lose track of their central missions and end up doing a disservice to people.
—David Shraub:”I must say, I’m at least somewhat surprised by the profoundly negative reaction by American liberals (and in Sullivan’s case, non-liberals too). I, for one, am willing to give Ratzinger a chance. I think it is telling that the Vatican has elected two straight bona fide intellectuals now, which to me is always a good thing…I won’t shy from being critical of the new Pope. But I won’t rush to judgment either. He has some large shoes to fill, but he may very well be up to it.”
—Tom Smith:”Not choosing John Paul III, and instead choosing Benedict (I’m betting XIV is the patron) suggests the new Pope Benedict does not see himself as a merely transitional figure, 78 years old or not. It signals ambition. Not a John Paul, or a Paul, a John, or a Pius. But a Benedict. Already, he has the press and critics off balance. A good thing in a pope, to be smarter than the average reporter and op-ed writer. A minimal standard to be sure, but helpful nonetheless. Ratzinger is no shrinking violet. This will be interesting. Read some of his stuff. It has the lucidity of the way smart.
—Lean Left:”They elected another Pope. It’s Ratzinger – the Goebbels of the Vatican. Un…believable, even for an organization as self-destructively oblivious as this one. Well, for Catholics and the dwindling number of Westerners who still take Catholicism seriously, it’s time to kiss the Dark Ages hello again…The medieval wing of an organization that just barely got over Galileo has now claimed the right to declare itself “infallibleâ€? (the irony of which they never seem to get). If you thought John Paul II was bad, wait till you get a load of Pope Torquemada Jr.”
—Joseph Britt:”Great figures in any public office are rarely succeeded by people of close to equal stature. Perhaps the conclave recognized that any new Pope would suffer from comparison with the last one, and decided to choose a man who would not mind and could hold things together until the Church had a better idea of how it wanted to be led in the new century.”
—Michelle Malkin has a lots of links to various weblogs and adds:”The vile Pope-bashing on the Left has begun.”
—MaxSpeak:”Oh great. Pope Wingnut the First…Keep your Church” out of my state.”
—Secular Blasphamy notes:”Maybe even more relevant for the choice of name, Benedict XV was known for his opposition to the rising modernists within the Roman Catholic Church.”
—Orin Judd:”…this may come to be seen as another case of a conservative winning election in the wake of 9-11.”
–Seminary hopeful Tom Crowe has a GREAT MUST READ POST which reads in part:
First and foremost, he has been a strong defender of the Truth. No mealy-mouthed, wishy-washy, “let’s dialogue.� There are places for dialogue. Dialogue can happen on the way to best promote the Truth. But not on whether something is TRUE or “subject to interpretation.� The “Spirit of Vatican II� cannot resemble Blackmun’s “emanations from penumbra.� Ratzinger didn’t – and Benedict XVI likely won’t – let “dialogue� cloud Truth. But also, he was John Paul II’s most trusted theological adviser..
So, as long as God doesn’t pull another Albino Luciani (John Paul I and his 32-day papacy) on us, this should be a new flowering of orthodoxy in the Church. If I get to seminary, I shall be happy to study under a man with a mind like Benedict XVI’s. God Willing, I shall meet him some day and kiss his fisherman’s ring.
—Hugh Hewitt:”As a protestant, I am deeply relieved that the conclave chose to endorse with their quick action the ideas of absolute truth and moral certainty that are in the person of Jesus Christ. The world, no less than the Church, could not afford a relativist in the Throne of St. Peter in these times.”
—Roman Catholic Blog points to stererotypes about Ratzinger in the mainstream media:”If I had a dollar for every time I heard the words “polarizing,” “divisive,” “strict,” “ultraconservative,” etc. on CNN today, I’d have enough money…to buy CNN!”
—The Anchoress:”Basically the press seems to be saying, “Oh, no! They elected a CATHOLIC! Liberals are doomed! DOOMED!â€? I wonder if this election will not hasten an exodus of progressives from the church – to bring into reality and focus the schism which has been bubbling under the surface for a while. Pray for Benedict XVI. It is no easy thing to have so much hatred and malice being directed toward you. He will need our prayers.”
—Professor Bainbridge:”Granted, Ratzinger is no fan of extending American-style democracy to the inner workings of the Catholic Church or incorporating American-style moral relativism into the teachings of the Church. Yet, in the political sphere, the new Pope demonstrably recognizes that there is legitimate room for disagreement on how one operationalizes all but the most basic Church teachings, such as the gospel of life, and that even there Catholics may in appropriate instances even vote for politicians who do not share the Church’s view on that central tenet.”
—Lord Rich (England):”So we have a new Pope, another old man who dislikes sex before marriage, homosexuals, protestants, women and Jews. Only this time he was also a member of Hitler’s Youth and apparently fought in Stalingrad in World War 2 – against the Germans maybe, but it was still active military service.”
—Carpe Bonum has BEAUTIFULLY put together page with all kinds of facts on the new Pope. A MUST read (and MUST BOOKMARK). Even his nickname in Italian: “Papa Ratzo.”
—Catholic Light: Has an excellent analysis with various ordered points. Here are the top three:
1. The choice is not a sentimental one. It does not play to the crowd, much less to the zeitgeist’s desire for a nice, kind, “flexible” man.
2. The choice is a safe one. The cardinals all know the new pope and they know what to expect (or at least they think they do.)
3. The speed of the choice indicates that if the cardinals did not know who they wanted, they at least knew what they wanted.
—Ron Huddleston:”Ratzinger is a traditionalist, so it is unlikely that there will be any dramatic changes in Catholic doctrine during the near future.”
—Ezra Klein:”If I were the new Pope, I’d be feeling a bit weird right now. In fact, not only now; I’d be downright nervous whenever someone glanced at their watch in my presence. What’s the rush? With all the commentary focusing on Ratzinger’s status as a transitional (read: likely to die soon) Pope, he’s got to be feeling the reality of mortality pretty acutely. “
—Steve Soto:”Given Ratzinger’s hard-line and dogmatic stances on a variety of issues, I had hoped that the Church would move towards a pontiff more concerned about suffering, poverty, and injustice instead of one who elevates strict adherence to the Church above all else. Hopefully, I’ll be wrong about Pope Benedict XVI. But to me, elevating Ratzinger to the top spot is akin to the impact from suddenly seeing a President Cheney.”
—Uncorrelated blasts Andrew Sullivan and defends the new Pope:”Does Andrew Sullivan believe that he should counsel God? Of course, Sullivan wouldn’t see it that way, and that’s the whole point….As Ratzinger’s comments about abortion and euthanasia point out, one cannot support abortion and euthanasia and present himself for holy communion. This is what liberal Catholics like Sullivan lack–communion with the fundamental reality of Catholicism.”
—Bloggledygook:”If Benedict XVI is anything like the last Pope, his church will be well served. But I suspect that after a few weeks of heightened interest, the non-Catholic world will go back to its own ways. For most of those who are not Catholic, this has been an interesting, exotic show. For faithful Catholics it is something that only they can understand. We should let them.”
—The Political Teen:”The man hasn’t even been in office for more than 8 hours and already he is already getting bashed…If he was one of Hitler’s youth, I don’t blame him. It was either joining, dying, or being sent to a concentration camp.On a side note: Does it feel wierd referring to him as Pope Benedict, much less realzing that there is a new pope?
—The Glittering Eye:
On the fourth ballot the College of Cardinals elected Joseph Ratzinger as the 265th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He has taken the name Benedict XVI. Benedict XV was the pope during World War I and struggled, unsuccessfully, to bring peace (Woodrow Wilson was the only world leader who paid any attention and adopted a number of his suggestions). Benedict XV’s first encyclical was a condemnation of modern philosophical systems. I haven’t read Benedict XVI’s statement, yet, but my preliminary take is that the College of Cardinals have decided that modernity is the most serious problem that’s facing the Church right now.
–The always-lively site Crooks and Liars has several things. This post link takes you to Tuesday’s posts. At the top you’ll see a link to an apparent Bill O’Reilly rant predicting infanticide in the future (he has the video 4 U). Scroll down and you’ll also find a roundup.
FOOTNOTE: Mark Daniels has an intereseting theological analysis here of “Reflections on Cardinal Ratzinger’s Identification of ‘Dictatorship of Relativism.’
VIDEO: Trey Jackson offers a great video showing the announcement of the new and his first appearance.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.