More Surprises From The Pope Of Surprises

Benedict XVI recently read the Austrian bishops the riot act, telling them:

You, dear brothers in the episcopacy, know this well: there are some
topics relating to the truth of the faith, and above all to moral
doctrine, which are not present in the catechesis and preaching of your
dioceses to a sufficient extent, and which sometimes, for example in
pastoral outreach to youth in the parishes or groups, are either not
confronted at all or are not addressed in the clear sense understood by
the Church. Thanks be to God, it is not like this everywhere. Perhaps
those who are responsible for the proclamation [of the Gospel] are
afraid that people may draw back if they speak too clearly. However,
experience in general demonstrates that it is precisely the opposite
that happens. Don’t deceive yourselves! Catholic teaching offered in an
incomplete manner is a contradiction of itself and cannot be fruitful
in the long term.

Ouch!

He then surprised the bishops of Latin America by deciding, on the spot, that a conference they were planning to hold in Rome so he could participate would instead be held in Brazil and that he would go there.

Benedict XVI said to them all of a sudden: “It will be held in Brazil,”
and immediately asked what the country’s most venerated Marian shrine
is. “The Aparecida,” they replied. And the pope: “In Brazil, at the
Aparecida, in May. I’ll be there.”

The four cardinals were taken completely by surprise. And so were
the leaders of the Roman curia – the pope hadn’t discussed the matter
with any of them. What induced Benedict XVI to choose Brazil may have
been what Cardinal Hummes said at the synod a few days earlier:

“The number of Brazilians who declare themselves Catholics has
diminished rapidly, on an average of 1% a year. In 1991 Catholic
Brazilians were nearly 83%, today and according to new studies, they
are barely 67%. We wonder with anxiety: how long will Brazil remain a
Catholic country? In conformity with this situation, it has been found
that in Brazil there are two Protestant pastors for each Catholic
priest, and the majority from the Pentecostal Churches. Many
indications show that the same is true for almost all of Latin America
and here too we wonder: how long will Latin America remain a Catholic
continent?”

But the choice of the Aparecida also left the four cardinals
speechless. That is indeed the most frequently visited shrine in
Brazil, but it is located in an isolated part of the state of San
Paolo, and it lacks the structures capable of hosting a large-scale
continental congress.

But none of the four cardinals dared to object. The pope had
decided, and his reasons were all too clear. He has at heart a vigorous
renewal of the Catholic faith on the Latin American continent, and
symbols are very valuable in this regard.

There’s time to build a convention center on the plain of the Aparecida, until May of 2007.

GET THE STORY.
(Thanks to the reader who e-mailed.)

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

12 thoughts on “More Surprises From The Pope Of Surprises”

  1. Both great headlines Jimmy, thanks for posting them. I think alot of us in the USA are anxious for the hammer to drop in our country regarding laxity in teaching and liturgy, but there are worse issues which need to be addressed in other countries and the two above are prime examples of this.

  4. DA-ang!
    What’s so striking about that first statement is how direct and un-diplomatic it is. I am NOT used to that like of frank language from the Bishop of Rome.
    And, Realist, I don’t think it’s very Realist-ic to say “There is no ‘ouch’ when there are no specifics.” You could say there is no prescription for improvement, but “ouch,” there definitely is. When your boss tells you “Shape up” this frankly in public, specifics or not, that’s “ouch.” Your credibility has just been scorched, and your charges are going to be watching you to see what if anything you do differently. That’s gotta smart. You can fault the pope for not getting down to brass tacks, but not for being ouchless.
    The second bit is cool in a different way. It suggests a bold, decisive, visionary papacy. Go B.
    Hey Cornwell, who did you say Benedict had chosen to surprise???

  5. I so very love this guy! God bless our B16!!
    And, Billy . . . how didja do the li’l heart? Wingdings? Never thought of that! 😉

  6. You have to realize that this is all couched in very traditional and diplomatic language. And, as such language goes, this is the equivalent of being told that you have completely failed at your job and are destroying everything that you think you have built up.

  9. Catholic teaching offered in an incomplete manner is a contradiction of itself and cannot be fruitful in the long term.
    Wow. Could we tattoo that statement on the forehead of every catechist, DRE and RCIA instructor in the country???

  11. Jimmy et al,
    Panzerpapst? Hmmm, not the best choice of nicknames!!! Pattonpope or Shermanpope would be better choices.
    And I will wait for the specifics before saying “ouch”. This “pew sitter” is very tired of “vaticanspeak”.
    And if the Austrian Bishops don’t say ouch, what is our “Pattonpope” going to do? If Austria has the same problem that we do with a “low grade” hierarchy where is he going to find replacements?

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