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| Pope Benedict XVI |
Yes, the pope resigned. He actually stepped down today among a pomp and circumstance of catholicism that I never, ever saw before. I do understand that 700 years ago, Pope Celestine V in 1294 resigned after only five months and his resignation was always referred to as the "Great Refusal."
A time of deep contemplation and reflection...
Why did the pope do this? No pope in the current history of the Catholic Church has ever done that in this way. Not even our elder statesmen in the political arena has done this. Today's events were a major spectacle. Major.
Media is mentioning "Schism"...
The schism that everyone keeps referring to is the ugly sexual abuse that the Catholic Church hid for so many years. Will this latest event hurt our church? As our church watched the participation decrease in Europe and America, the Catholic Church was chided about the need to worry about this.
I don't blame Catholics for child abuse and neither should you. But, the church hiding it and protecting those abusers was wrong. Totally wrong. What I hope for with any new leader is a transparent governing of the Catholic Church. We must honor women, gays, people of color and other religions. We must respect all people; no matter their beliefs.
In doing so, we may honor those before us who humbly cherished Catholicism as a way for us to live and respect our God in the way we believe. As my Mason grandfather and Agnostic grandfather brought the drama of opposing religious views into my family, we all learned to love each other based upon what we perceived each of us carried individually in our hearts. And the grandmothers? They married the grandpops didn't they?
And the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Written by: ~ EL on staff with W.E.T. River Trips
And, please kind comments on the religion... heard all the negs before.
Photos by: salon.com of the pope
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