British journalist and author John Cornwell — whose book Hitler’s Pope could be said to be the felix culpa that launched such fine defenses of Pope Pius XII as Hitler, the War, and the Pope by Ronald J. Rychlak and The Myth of Hitler’s Pope by Rabbi David G. Dalin, and who blasted John Paul II in his last days with the book The Pontiff in Winter — has now turned his spotlights on Pope Benedict XVI.
Although he cannot resist a mean swipe by speculating unfairly on the possible hidden portents of a child frightened at the prospect of meeting the Holy Father, Cornwell seems astonished that Pope Benedict is not the metal-ball-rolling, hard-eyed Grim Rottweiler that Everyone Who Knew Anything about Pre-16 predicted him to be.
"First indications were ominous. Within a week of the papal election, Tom Reece [sic, Reese], editor of America, the leading US national Catholic journal, was sacked (for alleged unorthodoxy); Sister Lavinia Byrne, a former Catholic nun known for her espousal of women priests, was disinvited from a Catholic speaking engagement in Australia; and a senior Jesuit professor withdrew a theological work from his publisher fearing it was too critical for the new regime.
"As it happened, these were precipitate acts of self-policing rather than sweeps of a hard new papal broom. Seven months on there is still no sign of the purge. In the view of William Rees-Mogg, writing in The Times last week, Benedict is even happy to endorse the validity of Darwinian evolution (provided, of course, God is seen as its ultimate architect), thus distancing himself from the rabid creationist Christian right. As Pope, Benedict XVI is indeed looking complex if not exactly progressive."
I love our Holy Father, but I’ve always said that he looks like a white Count Dracula. It doesn’t surprise me that a smal kid would be afraid of him at first appearances; particularly when he grins, it looks like he wants to suck your blood . . .
It’s the whole ethnic German look thing . . .
I appreciate Cornwell’s willingness to step outside the “God’s Rottweiler” script and acknowledge the disconnect between Benedict’s media image and the reality. That said, the smugness and egocentric perspective shot through the article is seriously annoying.
Take the subhead: “The election of Pope Benedict was seen as a victory for reactionary Catholics, but he has chosen to surprise them, writes John Cornwell.” Oh, is it “reactionary” Catholics who’ve been surprised by the Pope’s reign so far? Then why is Cornwell the one writing about how surprising the Pope’s first seven months have been? I don’t see “reactionaries” wringing their hands in despair and defeat — quite the contrary — so from where I sit it looks like the Cornwellian “liberal” dissenters whom Benedict has chosen to “surprise” (perhaps even to disappoint?) by not being the Evil Reactionary™ they imagined him to be.
Then there’s this line: “Is it possible that Benedict, once known as God’s rottweiler, has been tamed by his papal elevation?” “Tamed”? “Tamed”? Is that Cornwell’s idea of a good (liberal?) Pope — a “tame” one? Maybe next month’s release of The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe will remind him that “good” is not the same thing as “tame.”
Progressive? Hahahahaha!!!!
This guy is deluding himself, especially if he means “progressive” the way I think he means it.
The Pope is faithful. Simple as that.
The reason the Catholic left is surprised is because they always had a comic book villain image of Pope Benedict. Now that he is much more visible, they see that their image is simply not reality and many, including Cornwell it seems, are more inclined to think the pope has changed than that they were wrong.
I love Pope Benedict. I really do. I have more affection for him than I did for John Paul II, probably because I knew him as Ratzinger before he was Pope, unlike Wojtyla. I think he’s maybe the greatest Papal theological mind since Gregory the Great. And I think a lot of people will be converted during his papacy, when they see what a great man of God he is, as Peter Seewald did. Long live the Pope!
B16 may surprise his detractors yet again.
Any Pope would, I think, want to start off on as positive a note as possible.
The fact that, for the first several months things have been calmer than some expected, does not mean that bolder action is not forthcoming.
Then, just listen to them howl.
You really have to hand to Cornwell. The man is willing to openly admit when he is wrong. Albeit it grudgingly, and only loooooong after he has said something so fundamentally damaging and false that anyone else would successfully sue him for everything he’s got.
I mean, didn’t he essentially retract his ENTIRE book Hitler’s Pope? How could anyone who produces such colossal displays of blatant incompetence still find work as a writer? Shouldn’t he be doing something less challenging like watering fish?
I nearly retched when he said “progressive”. Puh-lease Mr. Cornwell, look it up in a dictionary and compare it with the definition of “novelty”! You keep throwing the word around like that and it will lose all meaning…
Man, such great comments written here for this article! I need a cigarette!