Pope Francis reverses Benedict

wil said:
Being a total outsider the conversation is interesting to me.

I have never mind a stood the amount of power vested in the Popes...
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Like a lot of other leaders the Pope walks the wire between extremist factions on both sides: to meet the 21st Century while avoiding a rebellion by the conservatives. Like other leaders he no doubt takes advice from aides and others; and like any leader he may be prone to follow advice that may not be the best?

There is obviously a real war going on in Vatican circles between reformers and conservatives. Francis seems to sway towards the reformers imo ... how far is too far?
 
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wil said:
when you say reformers....
Are his moves leaning towards interfaith acceptance?
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That would go above my present security grading, lol.

But the Catholic church has always been more open to ideas from other faiths than are the evangelistic fundamentalists. Thomas Merton is an example? A Catholic priest would likely not be forbidden to take a year's sabatical in a Buddhist monastery, imo
 
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wil said:
Being a total outsider the conversation is interesting to me.

I have never mind a stood the amount of power vested in the Popes...
Click to expand...

The Pope isn't really given as much power or status as people outside of Catholicism seem to ascribe to him. There are a few Catholics that seem to create a cult of personality around one Pope or another, but that happens with every celebrity.

The general idea of the Pope is that the clergy are supposed to have a special connection to God when it comes to theological and spiritual knowledge. The Pope is a member of the clergy elected by these people with such an insight to help with interpreting scriptures in light of a changing world.

The general idea is that, if the clergy are genuinely godly people, then they are guided, at least in part, by God when deciding who the Pope should be.

But, again, the Pope's powers aren't really that spectacular when compared to a common Priest or Bishop, he just has an authoritative say in interpreting scripture and theology and setting Church traditions, but he's bound by scripture and past rulings just as any lay Catholic is. He's the leader of the Church, not the spokesman of God.
 
wil said:
when you say reformers.... Are his moves leaning towards interfaith acceptance?
Click to expand...
Well that started with Vatican II ... and there are those on both sides who say the Council was subsequently hijacked. Not so sure about that, but it certainly polarised the debate. VII 'opened the windows' as the saying went, but triggered a conservative backlash on the one hand, while ultra-liberal elements took things to an extreme on the other.

Francis I have not pinned down, although at times it seems to me he's liberal in what he says, conservative in what he does ... and meanwhile the debate around issues like married clergy, divorce, transgender issues, etc., etc goes on and on ... and nothing substantially changes ...
 
I like Pope Francis. He seems quite reasonable. I also like that he has a background in science, having a Master's Degree in Chemistry. I think having a background both in religion and in science, must help him balance things and have respect for all.
 
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