Extensive Power, Bully Pulpit: Members Comment on Pope Benedict XVI
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (née Joseph Ratzinger) wasn’t the most popular or charismatic pontiff. Indeed, the introverted intellectual was known for his theological writings, and he gained a great number of followers through his prolific body of work. Even those who vehemently disagreed with his dogmatic teachings and views on the authority of the magisterium admired his devotion to the faith. Yet Benedict failed to garner the same global admiration of his predecessor Pope John Paul II, a social conservative praised for his unprecedented travels and pro-liberalism political involvements during the Cold War, as well as his successor Pope Francis, the affable Latin American Jesuit who embodies both the spirit of Vatican II and humility of Catholic Social Teaching.
Much of Benedict’s legacy, as both pope and cardinal, is marred by the ongoing clerical abuse scandals, his sex-negative theology of sexuality and the body, and his silencing of numerous Catholic theologians. For decades, Benedict oversaw the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where he shaped current church teachings around queer sexuality and same-gender relationships, gender equality and reproductive health, and penalties for dissenting in good faith.
Benedict’s death on Dec. 31 reopened many deep wounds for Call To Action members and our partner organizations. In the wake of his death, we asked members to submit their perspectives on the late pope emeritus and his impact on the Catholic Church.
Here are their responses.
In more than 30 years as a mighty Vatican bureaucrat—nearly 10 of them as the world's top Catholic figure—Benedict enabled countless child sex crimes and cover-ups to continue by virtually refusing to publicly expose even one child molesting cleric or a complicit church official.
With his extensive power and bully pulpit, he could have prevented hundreds or perhaps thousands of kids from being sexually assaulted. But he didn't. Instead, he chose, time and time again, to side with ordained clergy over vulnerable children.
Forced by public outrage over the exploding abuse crisis, he eventually began to profess concern, but he took virtually no effective action save for perpetuating the centuries of destructive secrecy that enables predators to hurt more kids and remain undetected.
He responded to a devastating worldwide horror with verbal pieties instead of courageous action. We'll never know how many more innocent families suffered deep harm because of his insistence on protecting clergymen's reputations instead of children's lives.
—David G. Clohessy, former director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)
“Pope Benedict XVI set us back many years. His metamorphosis from Vatican ll to his ultra-conservatism was destructive! He silenced many wonderful theologians and philosophers. He put a 20-foot wall around our faith that was impenetrable and Pope Francis has suffered from it!”
My concern is how Pope Benedict’s legacy will influence the direction of Pope Francis’ agenda for the future church. It is apparent to most Christians that their ecclesiologies are at odds with one another and result in divisions and even exodus among the laity.
Francis wants a church that is more pastoral and less judgmental, rather than a church that has a reputation for condemnation and excommunication. Christians don’t need to be reminded and condemned for their faults. They need to know that they are loved by God and their church, not because they are good but because God is good.
—David Roeding
Joseph Ratzinger created more division in the Catholic Church than any other pope. He helped prevent the reforms of Vatican II from being fully implemented. Starting out as a liberal theologian, he turned conservative and lost a generation or two to the church.
He issued a nasty, un-theological document about gay people, calling them "intrinsically disordered,” but at the same time, he failed to deal with repeated sexual abuse by clergy.
He decided to retire, but instead of showing humility and letting himself be called "Joseph Ratzinger" or even "Father Joseph Ratzinger,” he insisted on clinging to the pompous, unhistoric title of "pope emeritus" and wearing papal white the rest of his life, creating the confusion of having "two popes.” He said he would stay silent, but he did not; he continued to interfere with church business and doctrines. Instead of retiring to his homeland of Germany, he insisted on staying in the papal residences at the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo. At least Pope Francis could keep an eye on him there.
May he be taken to his heavenly reward. He did enough damage on earth.
—Robert Steven van Keuren, San Diego, C.A.
“My thought is [Pope Benedict XVI] needs an extra week in Purgatory for calling my people ‘intrinsically disordered.’”
Image courtesy of Women’s Ordination Worldwide.
My advice to ALL Roman Catholics wanting to preserve the church and its art forms that distinguish and define the religion, while also realizing the need to do so, is to eliminate the fixation on sex and men having spiritual superiority over women. It is essential to humanity that all that defines God as unconditional love be clear and true. Examples and experiences of pure kindness, empathy, and compassion in all occasions of life have no gender requirement.
With this said I encourage you to publicly request and suggest that Pope Francis plan for the possibility of PINK SMOKE OVER THE VATICAN.
—Etta Albright
“Why call Benedict’s a ‘complicated’ legacy? It seems to have been fairly straightforward: turn back the clock to a time before the Second Vatican Council and run out of the church—or allow them to leave—those who affirm the conciliar heritage.”
Did Pope Benedict XVI silence many Catholic voices during his tenure as the Head of the Doctrine of the Faith and as the Pope? Did he bring Cardinal Law to Rome? Did he really offer an apology to all the victims of abuse? Did he protect many clerics and bishops from being prosecuted? Did he offer any real spiritual bridge between Catholics and non-Catholics, especially Muslims? How did the Marcel relationship affect his decisions as a pope? Was he friendly to women becoming deacons, priests, bishops, or popes? Who is polarizing the Church? Who is serving Christ by blaming the victims and by protecting the aggressors?
Grand inquisitor Ratzinger silenced many liberation theologian voices from Leonardo Boff to Matthew Fox, among others. As pope, he protected abusive clerics and their supporters and enablers, like Cardinal Law and others. They moved those who were under investigation from place to place, country to country while the victims were denied their rights to be heard or to offer these survivors any real apology.
How many more abused people are out of there across the world who did not tell their stories? How can we talk about Benedict XVI as a great pope when his theology was harmful to many people and his lack of support for the victims brought so much unnecessary suffering? May God have mercy on his soul.
—Cristobal Serran-Pagan, Valdosta, Georgia
