For those who believe in the traditional values of the Church, the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is a blessing; conversely, those who want Church reformation maybe displeased. Pope Benedict is firmly opposed to birth control, supports the celibacy of the priesthood and is against the ordination of women. He has said that anyone who supports the "grave sins" of abortion and euthanasia should be denied Communion. He has also spoken out against homosexuality and once denounced rock music as "the vehicle of anti-religion." Furthermore, when priests became involved in fighting poverty through social action Ratzinger claimed it smacked of Marxism.
The new pope was chosen by at least a two-thirds majority of 115 cardinals from 52 countries, who cast secret ballots in the Sistine Chapel. The election came on the second day of the voting, presumably on the fourth ballot. It was a surprisingly quick conclusion of a conclave that began with many potential candidates and no clear favorite.
With nicknames like the God's Rottweiler and the Enforcer, he was not the choice of Catholics who were hoping the church would adapt to modern realities.
Ratzinger used his final homily before becoming Pope to rail against the modern philosophy of moral relativism: the idea that no absolute truths exist.
The modern world, he reflected, is fickle, having leapt "from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, up to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism." In short, he clamed, humankind has traded the worship of God for the worship of oneself and responsibility has been exchanged for selfishness.
In one of his books, Milestones, Ratzinger wrote, "In today’s world the theme of truth has all but disappeared, because truth appears too great for man, and yet everything falls apart if there is no truth."
Ratzinger believes that religious faith is founded on God's revelation and that the truth never changes. As for morality, he believes Christians must play by the rules, not change them to suit themselves.
Christianity has always opposed the secular culture, because it plays by a different set of rules. Jesus preached poverty over wealth, humility over pride, truth over evasion, love over lust, forgiveness over revenge, giving over taking, and sacrifice over non-involvement. The new pope reminds us that God pardons, but that his church expects Christians to keep God's rules.
Father Hans Kung of Germany, who was stripped of his authority by Cardinal Ratzinger to teach at Catholic universities for questioning church teachings, said: “"The election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as pope is an enormous disappointment for all those who hoped for a reformist and pastoral pope. But we must wait and see, for experience shows that the papacy in the Catholic Church today is such a challenge that it can change anyone: someone who went into the conclave a progressive cardinal can emerge as a conservative pope. Someone who went into the conclave a conservative cardinal can emerge as a progressive pope.” "
The first clue about the new pope's intentions was his choice of name. Cardinal Ratzinger could have called himself John Paul III. It would have been seen as a statement that he intended to continue the work of his mentor. Instead, he opted for Benedict, which comes from the Latin for "blessing.”
Many cardinals would like to see a less centralized Church and a less powerful pope who guides rather than governs. However, they may have to wait a little longer. Pope Benedict XVI looks like a man who will not be afraid to exercise his powers.
Still others point to the pontiff’s age claiming that Benedict XVI will be a transitional pope. However, John XXIII was expected to be little more than a caretaker, because he was 76 when elected; yet, he went on to astonish the Church with the sweeping reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Ratzinger said, “The church is young. She holds within herself the future of the world and therefore shows each of us the way toward the future.”
Yet, he is alienating the youth - the future - of the Church. If he cannot accept a changing world and thus a changing truth, count me out.
The Catholic Church is guilty of many major blunders: the Crusades, Copernicus, Galileo and the Spanish Inquisition. Now is the time to bring the Church into the modern world; nevertheless, Benedict XVI could be taking us back a step or two.
Today, Benedict XVI stands at the threshold of the papacy. The Church is still wondering where the shepherd will lead his flock.
25 April 2005
21 April 2005
Should the Catholic Church ordain women as priests? Does the pope wear a funny hat?
No student of the papal selection process seriously believes the new pope might be inclined to ordain women as priests. But he should consider it.
Women's ordination as priests in the Catholic Church would diminish the increasing scarcity of parish leaders. In Western society, at least, the well is not only drying up, the well was filled in.
Reuters reports, "In the United States, the number of men newly ordained as priests fell to 533 last year, down from 994 in 1965, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington."
I love those who oppose women's ordination quoting Scripture as the basis for their position. The argument usually goes something like, "Jesus Christ did not call any woman to be part of the twelve apostles" (Inter Insigniores) or "In this way Jesus established a permanent norm for the future Church: Jesus simply did not want women to be priests!" (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis)
But the truth is, similar to interpretation by various courts of common law in the United States today, there is Scripture to back up almost any argument true believers would like to make. Other scholars remind us that the earliest recording of Jesus' words at the Last Supper is in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians. That letter was written about 57 A.D. or almost a quarter-century AFTER Jesus' death.
The earliest written versions that scholars possess of the Gospels were written much later, almost a half-century after Jesus was crucified. Can you imagine how much re-interpretation and misinterpretation of what did or did not happen at the Last Supper could have gone on before any of it was written down? Especially in the ancient Middle East?
Despite all that, St. Paul did not leave behind any details about who was at the Last Supper. He simply repeated Jesus' words. In the first few centuries of the Church's existence, there is ample evidence that those who lived much closer to Jesus' time than any of us today did believe in ordaining women.
Dorothy Irvin, an archaeologist and theologian, has combed the catacombs of Rome for physical evidence to back up the claim that women were indeed ordained during the first millennium of the Catholic Church.
She found a fresco in a chapel in the Catacomb of St. Priscilla in Rome depicting women with arms outstretched toward the cup and plate. They were gesturing consecration at a celebration of an overnight Eucharistic vigil held near the tomb.
Irvin also describes a fourth-century fresco in the tomb of Priscilla, showing a bishop laying his right hand on the shoulder of a woman priest at her ordination.
As the cardinals select the next pope, let's hope he remembers that in 1977 the papal declaration, "Inter Insigniores."
Paul VI was pope at the time. He had asked his Vatican Biblical Commission to study the Scriptures about the subject of ordaining women. The Commission found nothing in Scripture that said women could or could not be ordained.
Which side will the next pope come out on? We already know. But a girl can still hope. And so can a woman.
No student of the papal selection process seriously believes the new pope might be inclined to ordain women as priests. But he should consider it.
Women's ordination as priests in the Catholic Church would diminish the increasing scarcity of parish leaders. In Western society, at least, the well is not only drying up, the well was filled in.
Reuters reports, "In the United States, the number of men newly ordained as priests fell to 533 last year, down from 994 in 1965, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington."
I love those who oppose women's ordination quoting Scripture as the basis for their position. The argument usually goes something like, "Jesus Christ did not call any woman to be part of the twelve apostles" (Inter Insigniores) or "In this way Jesus established a permanent norm for the future Church: Jesus simply did not want women to be priests!" (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis)
But the truth is, similar to interpretation by various courts of common law in the United States today, there is Scripture to back up almost any argument true believers would like to make. Other scholars remind us that the earliest recording of Jesus' words at the Last Supper is in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians. That letter was written about 57 A.D. or almost a quarter-century AFTER Jesus' death.
The earliest written versions that scholars possess of the Gospels were written much later, almost a half-century after Jesus was crucified. Can you imagine how much re-interpretation and misinterpretation of what did or did not happen at the Last Supper could have gone on before any of it was written down? Especially in the ancient Middle East?
Despite all that, St. Paul did not leave behind any details about who was at the Last Supper. He simply repeated Jesus' words. In the first few centuries of the Church's existence, there is ample evidence that those who lived much closer to Jesus' time than any of us today did believe in ordaining women.
Dorothy Irvin, an archaeologist and theologian, has combed the catacombs of Rome for physical evidence to back up the claim that women were indeed ordained during the first millennium of the Catholic Church.
She found a fresco in a chapel in the Catacomb of St. Priscilla in Rome depicting women with arms outstretched toward the cup and plate. They were gesturing consecration at a celebration of an overnight Eucharistic vigil held near the tomb.
Irvin also describes a fourth-century fresco in the tomb of Priscilla, showing a bishop laying his right hand on the shoulder of a woman priest at her ordination.
As the cardinals select the next pope, let's hope he remembers that in 1977 the papal declaration, "Inter Insigniores."
Paul VI was pope at the time. He had asked his Vatican Biblical Commission to study the Scriptures about the subject of ordaining women. The Commission found nothing in Scripture that said women could or could not be ordained.
Which side will the next pope come out on? We already know. But a girl can still hope. And so can a woman.
10 April 2005
A previously unknown superstrain of HIV was recently diagnosed in New York City stunning researchers and spurring activists to action.
The virus is known technically as a strain of three-class antiretroviral-resistant HIV or 3-DCR HIV. In layman’'s terms, that means the new strain is resistant to three of the four classes of drugs used to treat HIV. A cocktail of drugs from the four classes is needed to keep the virus in check.
Kendall Smith, an HIV researcher at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, said that because the virus is constantly mutating, a possible superstrain “has been the "dark shadow lurking behind us.”"
Last October, Patient X was involved in multiple episodes with multiple partners of unprotected sex while binging on crystal methamphetamine, during which time doctors believe he was infected. In December, the 40-something man developed flulike symptoms and tested HIV positive. Further tests uncovered the superstrain virus.
Not only is the new strain drug resistant but the time between infection and developing full-blown AIDS appears to be two to three months as opposed to years.
Jay Dobkin, medical director of the AIDS Center at Columbia Presbyterian in New York, said: “"Many of us here remember the dark days before there was any effective treatment for HIV, and I think [this] should at least be a reminder that those days could come back.”"
"Nationally, AIDS cases and HIV infections have remained fairly stable since 1998 at about 10,000 new infections every three months, but that overall stability may mask reported increases in HIV infections among heterosexuals," said Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control (CDC).
“
"Today’s epidemic is very different from the one we faced a decade ago. The populations at risk, the attitudes about infection and the science of HIV have all changed. And so much our prevention efforts," said Valdiserri.
“
"Americans don'’t have the same sense of urgency or crisis which characterized the early years of the epidemic,”" Valdiserri said. "“Some are becoming bored with HIV after 20 years, some are simply tired of the messages and behaviour change. And many didn’t realize they were signing on for a lifetime of condom use.”"
Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, said strategies known to prevent its spread are still "grossly underused." Furthermore, those who use drugs through needles are though to make up the bulk of new infections and are most hurt by failing prevention efforts.
Scientific discoveries in HIV and AIDS also seem to be merely incremental, experts said. New drugs that do the same thing - but slightly better - are emerging, but there’s no vaccine or blockbuster treatment around the corner.
The far greater urgency lies in combating the complacent attitude of young adults who have grown up in an era of improved AIDS treatments and only the occasional funeral. However, HIV infection rates that had stabilized during the 1990s are starting to spike.
In Monday’'s Rocky Mountain News, Colorado'’s Interstate 70 was compared to those roads in Third World countries populated by long-haul truckers, prostitutes and high infection rates known as “AIDS highways.”
In the heart of America, I-70 is populated by sport utility vehicles, ski resorts, recreational/not-for-profit sex and the highest AIDS and HIV rates in rural Colorado.
Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin and Summit Counties are home to major ski resorts, attracting people from around the country and around the world to ride, ski, party and play. Add to this mix, increased methamphetamine usage and you’ve created the ideal conditions for HIV infection.
The liberating nature of crystal methamphetamine means that safe sex is discarded while sexual activity increases exponentially. According to the CDC, in almost half of the new AIDS cases, crystal meth was a factor.
Furthermore, a quarter of those infected along the I-70 corridor are women; whereas, around the rest of the state women represent 16 percent of those infected.
AIDS does not discriminate. It doesn’t matter where you live, sexual preference, or gender. Worldwide three million people died of AIDS last year, that’s 8,200 people a day. 35,000 Americans are infected and don’'t know it. Heterosexual intercourse is the fastest-growing mode of HIV transmission in North America and the dominant mode of HIV transmission worldwide.
Know the facts. Respect your body. Respect life. Complacency will kill you.
The virus is known technically as a strain of three-class antiretroviral-resistant HIV or 3-DCR HIV. In layman’'s terms, that means the new strain is resistant to three of the four classes of drugs used to treat HIV. A cocktail of drugs from the four classes is needed to keep the virus in check.
Kendall Smith, an HIV researcher at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, said that because the virus is constantly mutating, a possible superstrain “has been the "dark shadow lurking behind us.”"
Last October, Patient X was involved in multiple episodes with multiple partners of unprotected sex while binging on crystal methamphetamine, during which time doctors believe he was infected. In December, the 40-something man developed flulike symptoms and tested HIV positive. Further tests uncovered the superstrain virus.
Not only is the new strain drug resistant but the time between infection and developing full-blown AIDS appears to be two to three months as opposed to years.
Jay Dobkin, medical director of the AIDS Center at Columbia Presbyterian in New York, said: “"Many of us here remember the dark days before there was any effective treatment for HIV, and I think [this] should at least be a reminder that those days could come back.”"
"Nationally, AIDS cases and HIV infections have remained fairly stable since 1998 at about 10,000 new infections every three months, but that overall stability may mask reported increases in HIV infections among heterosexuals," said Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control (CDC).
“
"Today’s epidemic is very different from the one we faced a decade ago. The populations at risk, the attitudes about infection and the science of HIV have all changed. And so much our prevention efforts," said Valdiserri.
“
"Americans don'’t have the same sense of urgency or crisis which characterized the early years of the epidemic,”" Valdiserri said. "“Some are becoming bored with HIV after 20 years, some are simply tired of the messages and behaviour change. And many didn’t realize they were signing on for a lifetime of condom use.”"
Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, said strategies known to prevent its spread are still "grossly underused." Furthermore, those who use drugs through needles are though to make up the bulk of new infections and are most hurt by failing prevention efforts.
Scientific discoveries in HIV and AIDS also seem to be merely incremental, experts said. New drugs that do the same thing - but slightly better - are emerging, but there’s no vaccine or blockbuster treatment around the corner.
The far greater urgency lies in combating the complacent attitude of young adults who have grown up in an era of improved AIDS treatments and only the occasional funeral. However, HIV infection rates that had stabilized during the 1990s are starting to spike.
In Monday’'s Rocky Mountain News, Colorado'’s Interstate 70 was compared to those roads in Third World countries populated by long-haul truckers, prostitutes and high infection rates known as “AIDS highways.”
In the heart of America, I-70 is populated by sport utility vehicles, ski resorts, recreational/not-for-profit sex and the highest AIDS and HIV rates in rural Colorado.
Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin and Summit Counties are home to major ski resorts, attracting people from around the country and around the world to ride, ski, party and play. Add to this mix, increased methamphetamine usage and you’ve created the ideal conditions for HIV infection.
The liberating nature of crystal methamphetamine means that safe sex is discarded while sexual activity increases exponentially. According to the CDC, in almost half of the new AIDS cases, crystal meth was a factor.
Furthermore, a quarter of those infected along the I-70 corridor are women; whereas, around the rest of the state women represent 16 percent of those infected.
AIDS does not discriminate. It doesn’t matter where you live, sexual preference, or gender. Worldwide three million people died of AIDS last year, that’s 8,200 people a day. 35,000 Americans are infected and don’'t know it. Heterosexual intercourse is the fastest-growing mode of HIV transmission in North America and the dominant mode of HIV transmission worldwide.
Know the facts. Respect your body. Respect life. Complacency will kill you.
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