They Ain’t Makin’ Popes Like John Paul Anymore

Joe ‘God’s Rottweiler’ Ratzinger, formerly of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (itself formerly the Inquisition), and formerly of the Hitler Youth, had recently changed his name to the more innocent-sounding ‘Benedict’, in the hopes no doubt of avoiding suspicions. This did not fool the more astute amongst ourselves –and indeed your most humble servant had placed a bet with a friend, to the effect that Ratzy would manage to elicit a schism part deux before the end of his reign. I must say my heart was warmed by his antics regarding his desired excommunication of all those darn Mexican legislators who recently legalised abortion. While the angelic PR team scrambled to minimise yet another papal blunder, I could only think of how closer to winning my bet His Holiness was getting me.

It was without surprise, then, that I found out this week that my pecuniary interest must take root in my apostatical, nay, heretical origin –for I, dear reader, am a Jew. And Jews, whether they believe in their mistaken religion or not, happen to be a great stumbling block for the rigorous Catholic (some would say more generally Christian) theologian: it seems we cannot reach the so-desired Judgment Day until all those mislead people finally recognise Christ as the true prophet. Hence, as long as there’ll be Jews, there won’t be a party.

And how to tell us best that we should vote for Jesus than in Latin? Liberal Catholics are already shocked, as represented by Jewcy’s own Scott Korb, who noted in his piece on the pope’s latest that “The old Latin prayer for conversion is as offensive now as when it was discarded more than thirty-five years ago.” While we can hope with Scott that this backward turn will only help eventually change the RC Church, what is the time frame going to be for this change to take place? It seems that Catholics individually act according to principles of social justice, openness (yes, I know the limits of the reference in this last link) and modesty that are not always their hierarchy’s. But are they then still Catholics? Being a Roman Catholic seems to imply allegiance to the Pope and the Vatican: “the Second Vatican Council states that all the Pope's teaching should be listened to and accepted.” Hence the following question to my Roman Catholic friends: why not do away with an antiquated, constraining and potentially dangerous ecclesiastical hierarchy?

And just to make sure you didn’t miss on the link…