Opinion of Benedict XVI

[Zynx]

Poll question: Opinion of Benedict XVI

In his first actions as Pope, has he raised, lowered, or kept the same your view of him?

[Kerrytravelers]

1. The first actions.

From my knowledge, the Pope has spoken out against Spain for passing same-sex marriage into law and against Harry Potter for "underminding the soul of Christianity."

Is there something else I don't know about yet?

[regnaD kciN]

2. I guess it may be a matter of Bush-style "diminished expectations"...

...but I expected Ratzinger to "hit the ground running" with a whole set of infallible proclamations dragging Rome back to the Tridentine era. Every day he goes without doing so, my opinion of him increases a bit. Also, his comments toward other Christians since his elevation have been more welcoming than I would have expected.

Plus, I understand that he has a habit of adopting stray cats. IMHO, anyone who does that can't be all bad, nor as authoritarian as he's been made out to be. (Generally, truly dictatorial or controlling individuals can't stand cats -- their independence drives them nuts.)

[Dorian Gray]

3. I didn't know that about cats

(I also adopted my cat! That makes me like him an inkling more.)

I voted that I would have to wait and see. I know he's made statements that people don't like, but church policy hasn't changed yet. I'm tentative about the man, but I'm hoping and praying that he does the best that he can for the Church.

[Matilda]

4. Apparently it's true about the cats ....

he always stops and talks to them, and sometimes they've followed
him back to the Vatican. It's very encouraging.

I was also heartened to read that he actually persuaded JPII not to
issue an infallible declaration about birth control, and that made
me relax a little. I'm not expecting that he's going to make any
progressive moves, but if he just leaves things as they are I'll be
considerably relieved.

Then we'll just have to worry about who's going to follow him.

[regnaD kciN]

10. Although, today's news about the dismissal of the editor of "America"...

...is not a hopeful sign.

[elshiva]

5. Same, because

it is too soon to know. I figured he would be against the gay marriage, which is too bad, but it would take a miracle (which we can all still pray for).

Have admit, being Jewish, not to happy about a German pope who supported the Nazis after JP II being so against them and pro-Jewish, but we shall see. After all, I and many other Dems forgave Robert Byrd former member of KKK (way back in the day and he regrets it).

[JohnKleeb]

6. uhhh he wasnt a nazi, I dont like him thus far but his father

was a Bavarian cop who got in trouble with the nazis a lot and he hated being forced in to the hitler youth, I would have wanted a pope from a third world country that said.

[elshiva]

8. Yes, I would have liked a pope from the third world too.

[Princess Turandot]

7. Elshiva, virtually every major Jewish organization congratulated him ..

on his elevation to the papacy, in ways that I believe were sincere.
I live in NYC and have too many Jewish friends to believe that these organizations were just pandering to him; it's not the style of any Jew I know. I have a lot of respect for the AJC for an example, who relentlessly condemns ethnic cleansing atrocities no matter who is involved. They were taking out ads in the NY Times imploring nations to take action in the Balkans, before anyone else acted. They all seemed to indicate that he was a participant in JP II's outreach to the Jewish community, and dismissed the 'Nazi' story. Plus, you would probably also need to unilaterally tar all Germans of a certain age with the same brush.

I'm not suggesting anything abt his future papacy here. I just think that the media ran with that story because it got attention. It barely paid attention to JP II's rapprochment with the Jews during his papacy, except to focus on the Pius XII angle.

[elshiva]

9. Sorry, but as I say just waiting to see how he goes...