Friday, August 19, 2005

Is the Pope Catholic?



On vacation in Baltimore, reading the Baltimore Sun, where Benedict XVI is quoted as telling the R.C. youth in Cologne, Germany:

"The happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy, has a name and a face: It is Jesus of Nazareth."

Happiness?

You have a right to it?

Well at least Jesus is the answer, not Mary, but really, is this a true statement he is making here? Happiness is Jesus? Happiness is a right?

I don't think it's even in line with Roman Catholic theology, let alone the truth of Scripture.

On the plus side, Fox has this blurb at the end of a story about the Pope's recent visit to a synagogue:

He said it was important not to paper over differences: "I would encourage sincere and trustful dialogue between Jews and Christians, for only in this way will it be possible to arrive at a shared interpretation of disputed historical questions, and above all to make progress towards a theological evaluation of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity," he said.

"This dialogue, if it is to be sincere, must not gloss over or underestimate the existing differences. ... We need to show respect for one another, and to love one another."


2 comments:

Out Of Jersey said...

Huh, that's interesting. I actually am not entirely sure how to take things like that. It is funny I am seeing both a sincere returning to Christ from a lot of Catholics, but also a slip to the other end as well. Looks like lunatics are running the asylum.

solarblogger said...

It all depends on what is meant by "happiness." I think when this word used to be used, it meant more than modern people mean when they say, "I just want to be happy."

Funny, though, how the Declaration of Independence said that what we had a right to was the "pursuit of happiness." Of course the difference is that Benedict believes (rightly) that it can be identified. Today people tend to think they have to discover what happiness is for themselves, and not just locate it.