Mulling over LEE LOFASO to STEVE ASHER 21 Apr 2005

Hi 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.

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

 LL> It has been a dream of Roman Catholic pontiffs for a thousand
 LL> years. 

Hmmm... I wonder if the various Orthodox Metropolitans (etc) shared
the same dream. Even in Oz, there is occasionally a small scale feud
if some out-of-favour (arch)bishop arrives without an invitation or
welcome from the heirarchy - they seem to be very territorial, though
even Catholics can be, as I recall. It is apparently a no-no for the
head of one diocese to turn up in another diocese without invitation.

>LL>As well as better relations with other Christians,

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

 LL> JPII was a theological conservative.  Benedict XVI appears to also
 LL> be a theological conservative, following in the footsteps of the
 LL> late JPII. But JPII was definitely NOT a political conservative. 

JPII was very much his own man, much to GWB's discomfort over Iraq etc.

 LL> And I would tend to doubt that B XVI is a political conservative,
 LL> although I could be wrong on that matter.

I would expect him to be very Euro-centric, and active in shaping the
EU's religious "destiny", constitution, etc. Whether he will have the
energy to devote to the rest of the world, Islam, Israel etc, I don't
know. He may delegate to a number of subordinates.

>LL>along with Muslims and Jews.

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

 LL> That is why Antichrist is more likely to come as "spiritual"
 LL> leader, rather than a "political" leader.  

Who ever he proves to be, I think any Pope can be ruled out, unless
the Jews suddenly accept him as Messiah. Hasn't happened over the
last 2000 years, and does not appear likely in the near future;
with all the books / literature portrating or identifying the Pope
as the Antichrist / "vicarius filii dei" etc etc, I suspect he
will just be a handy scapegoat, possibly at the hands of the real
antichrist.

 LL> Of course, there is always the False Prophet, kind of like a 
 LL> modern-day John the Baptist.  ;)

As I understand things, when the Jews check out the "credentials"
of the one they accept as Messiah, it will be with the help of
that very "prophet", acting as a pointer to the [false] messiah.

Cheers, Steve..

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