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  D'Arcy Singing Praises of New Pope

By Rebecca S. Green
The Journal Gazette [Indiana]
April 20, 2005

With evident pleasure, Bishop John M. D'Arcy said the College of Cardinals elected the right man in picking Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as successor to John Paul II as the 265th pope and bishop of Rome.

D'Arcy, the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, spent 45 minutes last May with the man who is now Pope Benedict XVI and said he found him to be a brilliant, but humble, man.

Inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday afternoon, D'Arcy praised the conclave for its selection, saying it was the best choice.

"He's a theologian after the heart of Christ," D'Arcy said. "He's an opponent of relativism. He believes moral truths come from God."

No other cardinal knows this diocese as well as Ratzinger does, D'Arcy said, saying conversely he knows Ratzinger better than any of the American cardinals.

Sister Jane Carew, the diocesan director of religious education, echoed D'Arcy's praise for Ratzinger. She remembered studying his writings in the 1970s, particularly his exposition on the ancient Christian creed.

Carew found herself moved by his insights on the "amen" at the end of the creed. "It was a wonderful moment of learning for me," Carew said.

D'Arcy said he believed the selection of a new pope would have come a little later this week.

However, he said, the quick choice shows the cardinals were led by God to continue down the road that Pope John Paul II had begun to travel.

Earl Kumpfer, professor of philosophy and theology at the University of Saint Francis, had expected other scenarios in this papal election, necessary after the death of John Paul this month.

John Paul's charisma will be hard to match, and the newly elected pope does not have that, he said, but like John Paul, Benedict will be a good promoter for the Second Vatican Council, where Ratzinger had was a theological adviser and researcher, Kumpfer said.

Possessing strong administrative skills, and a good staff, Benedict could help the church recover from the sexual abuse scandals in the United States and other scandals that have plagued the worldwide Catholic Church in recent years, Kumpfer said.

"He will be sensitive to those," he said.

Illinois Appellate Court Justice Anne Burke, the past head of the National Lay Review Board tasked with examining the scope of abuse by clergy within the Catholic Church in the U.S., spoke highly of a meeting with Ratzinger about the crisis.

"He reached out … when we asked if we could discuss the issue," she said. "Very positive things happened as a result of our meeting."

Burke said she could not say enough about Ratzinger's reaction to what they told him.

"He met with us, listened to us, and acted on it," she said. "Can we ask anything more? I don't think so."

What Pope Benedict XVI will not likely do is stop speaking out against the moral relativism and secularism many feel are warring against the church.

In recent speeches and sermons since John Paul's death, particularly at the pre-conclave Mass, Ratzinger railed against relativism – a belief that truth is subjective or personal, as opposed to an objective standard.

For D'Arcy, that trait is an important one.

During an interview the evening before Benedict's election, D'Arcy outlined some of the ideals and characteristics he would like to see in any newly elected pontiff. One of the foremost D'Arcy listed was the opposition to relativism.

Speculating on his choice of a name, Kumpfer said Ratzinger is likely giving insight into what his thoughts will be.

"It's kind of a break," Kumpfer said. "He's going in a different direction."

The last Pope Benedict, Benedict XV, reigned in St. Peter's chair during World War I, in a different time when the church was not as free, Kumpfer said.

But there are some "echoes" now of those issues of the early 20th century, such as Benedict XVI's concerns about relativism and secularism, Kumpfer said.

"The church has to continue to teach what it teaches, even if it is not popular," Kumpfer said. He may see Benedict XV as a model and is "telling the rest of the world who he is," Kumpfer said.

D'Arcy sees the selection of the name as a way to honor the Benedictine Order, which Ratzinger had praised for their devotion to work and prayer.

He, too, does not believe that Pope Benedict XVI will be one to compromise the teachings of the church.

"Any pope has to defend the 2,000 years of tradition," D'Arcy said. "There's no doubt about this man. He will not change them."

 
 

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