By Barbara Kralis

April 19, 2005

©Barbara Kralis 2005
Catholic Online
www.catholic.org

He took the name Benedict[1] from the co-patron of Europe who founded over 40,000 communities of monasticism to combat widespread corruption. It should be no secret what Pope Benedict XVI's papacy will be like. For those 'enlightened' Catholics who dissent from magisterial teachings and who are grieved by the election, we bid you peace.

Barely one day before his election as the 265th Pope of the Church, Cardinal Ratzinger, a formidable intellect who will not yield to modernists, delivered a remarkable homily, calling for Catholics to be 'true Adults in the faith.' He explained:

"Being an 'Adult' means having a faith which does not follow the waves of today's fashions or the latest novelties. A faith which is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ is adult and mature."

Cardinal Ratzinger further cautioned Catholics not to remain infants in the faith, in a state of minority:

"…Being tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery [Eph 4:14]. This description is very relevant today!"

Cd. Ratzinger's homily summed up the plan for his pontificate that the truths of the Catholic Church's teaching are absolute, while warning the Church's pastors to guard against "a dictatorship of relativism" that dominates modern society.

Earlier this week the Cardinal promised to clean the filth from the Church. This was not a Cardinal 'campaigning' with pleasing words to gain support. This was a Cardinal warning that if elected, this would be his strategy.

The majority of the world Cardinals clearly desired such a Pope. Several of his supporters were known to have joined Cd. Ratzinger's vision of restoring the faith long before the Conclave commenced. To mention a few, we include Cd. Ruini of Rome, Cd. Pell of Sydney, Cd. Glemp of Warsaw, Cd. Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Cd. Errázuriz Ossa of Chile, Canadian Cd. Ouellet of Quebec, Cd. Scola of Venice, Cd. Biffi of Bologna, and the popular U.S. Cd. George of Chicago.

Recently on two separate occasions, Cd. Ratzinger publicly cautioned Europe against admitting Islamic Turkey to the European Union and wrote to bishops around the world justifying that stand:

"The roots that have formed Europe, that have permitted the formation of this continent, are those of Christianity. Turkey has always represented another continent, in permanent contrast with Europe. There were the [old Ottoman Empire] wars against the Byzantine Empire, the fall of Constantinople, the Balkan wars, and the threat against Vienna and Austria. It would be an error to equate the two continents…Turkey is founded upon Islam…Thus the entry of Turkey into the EU would be anti-historical."

Will Pope Benedict XVI be effective against the onslaught of Islamofascism in Europe as Pope John Paul II was in stopping the tyranny of Communism?

Cd. Ratzinger's close working friendship with Pope John Paul II was like-minded in intellectual genius, spirituality, and regard for the dignity of mankind. However, after having served as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for John Paul II for ten years, the Cardinal openly desired to retire three separate times: in l991, in l996 and again in 2001, several months before he reached his 75th birthday. The Cardinal spoke of wanting to write books and return to his studies, living a much less public life. His suffering friend and Pontiff asked him not to retire. Thank God for the wisdom and vision of Pope John Paul II to keep the future Pope on the job! [2]

The moral theologian's prolific writings are cherished by 'Ratzinger Fans' worldwide who treasure and disseminate his moral lexis. Happy are those who read his admonitions to preserve the human conscience and absolute truths;[3] his warning against the liturgical abuses and reforms after Vatican II; [4] his call to the more ...