Postkiwi

I heard the news on the radio this morning about 6.20 am. There is a new pope. And it’s 78 year old Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He’s been described as a scholar and a leader, a conservative.

Ratzinger first got my attention back in 2000 when he issued a letter to bishops warning them about the use of the phrase “sister church”. The last line got the attention of the press.

“Finally, it must also be borne in mind that the expression sister Churches in the proper sense, as attested by the common Tradition of East and West, may only be used for those ecclesial communities that have preserved a valid Episcopate and Eucharist.”

Understandably anyone who wasn’t Anglican or Orthodox felt somewhat uneasy about this approach. And my Catholic colleagues in youth ministry coordination in New Zealand.

Reading through the document it makes it clear though that Ratzinger was trying to clarify where the Roman Catholic church was at in developing sister relationships with particular churches. He was concerned that the holy Catholic Apostolic Church be seen as the mother of all churches. Did he mean that to be the Roman Catholic church?

The document is online at the Vatican.

We watched Ratzinger officiate at the funeral of John Paul II. As a member of a non-sister church (Uniting Church in Australia) I struggled to be gracious toward the man. I’m sure he’ll have a lot to offer the church.

One fascinating angle on the election of pope has been the speculation linked with the prophecies of St Malachy, Irish bishop at the beginning of the second millennium. Malachy allegedly predicted that there would be 112 more popes before the final judgment. Benedict is number 111, the Glorious Olive. Peter the Roman is to be number 112 and will lead his people through tribulation before the end when Rome is destroyed and the judge presents his judgment. I’ve seen commentators suggest that Malachy only said that the last pope would be Peter the Roman and that there could be any number between the 111 and 112. It all sounds a bit like the rules around how many Dr Who incarnations can take place.

Even though the pope traditionally continues until his death, every one in the long line of succession has been there “for a limited time only”.