Mulling over LEE LOFASO to STEVE ASHER 20 Apr 2005

G'day Lee,

>LL>What kind of pontiff will Pope Benedict XVI be?  Here is a short
>LL>quote of what then Cardinal Ratzinger had to say on Monday, while
>LL>addressing the other cardinals just before being sequestered in the
>LL>Sistine Chapel -

>LL>"We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not
>LL>recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal
>LL>one's own ego and one's own desires."

SA>I have a feeling we are moving toward a dictatorship of another kind,
SA>and that Pope Benedict XVI may be central in bringing it about. After
SA>his election comes the analysis of his ambitions, such as his pledge
SA>to work to unify all Christians and reach out to other religions.
SA>("New Pope Vows to Work to Unify Christians" - Associated Press)

 LL> It has long been a desire of popes for reunification with the
 LL> Orthodox church.  

I haven't specifically followed this issue, as it isn't prominent
in Oz.

 LL> As well as better relations with other Christians, 

I have specifically followed this, e.g. ARCIC (Anglicans and Roman
Catholics in Communion); Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue;
rise of Pentecostal / Charismatic movements, etc. It will make
it easier to promote Europe as a united continent if its various
Catholic & Protestant churches unite and recognise the Pope as
head of the "Universal Church"; Presidents and leaders are
fawning all over JP 2 (and now B 16) as great moral authorities.

 LL> along with Muslims and Jews.

Finding a political / spiritual leader which appeared to be "Christ",
"Messiah", "Mahdi" (etc) might be a means of unifying
humanity, and
deceiving them into accepting an imposter, whose number is 666.


Cheers, Steve..

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