I'm not a devout Catholic anymore, but I respect many parts of the institution, including their attempts to help the destitute, their attempt to create a global community for good, and providing a tradition that helps many feel connected to the divine. A visionary leader could ameliorate those parts which are short-sighted and not in keeping with the deeper teachings of Jesus. I'm not interested in the dogma and I'm not interested in tradition. To take an organization with as much inertia as the staid and billion-strong multinational members in a different direction, one that jibes with human nature without dumbing itself down to human nature's baser instincts is more than just difficult. It's a miracle waiting to happen, and we need a saintly and awesome leader.
But I sincerely hope for greatness. If he can take the religion away from it's clear failings (the leadership failure to effectively deal with priest child molestation, stance on gay rights and contraception in developing nations, et al.), he will allow the church to devote its attention where it belongs: modeling Jesus love. That's a good thing for the world given the far-reaching hands of the church.
No comments:
Post a Comment