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by Charles Carreon
10:10 am, April 21, 2005
Raised Roman Catholic, and educated in Franciscan, Benedictine, and
Jesuit schools, I have an opinion about this Pope. The Jesuits taught us
that to be spiritual is to be beyond the influence of the times and peer
pressure — to “be your own man.” But Pope Benedict sounds like a go-along
to get-along kind of guy. While he may not deserve to be crucified for
joining Hitler Youth in the first place, this thing he confessed to, of
pretending to be Hitler Youth to get a tuition break after completing his
seminary education, discloses a character flaw. Clearly he was already
through his priestly education at this point, having completed seminary,
and yet he's pretending to be a fascist to get a tuition break? Give me a
break!
"The Pope“
'When the Hitler Youth was established, my brother was forced to become
a member,' Ratzinger said in an interview in 1997. ”I was still too
young, but later, when I entered the seminary, I also joined. But as
soon as I had left the seminary, I never went to see them again. And
this was difficult, because in order to be entitled to get a discount on
the tuition fee, which I urgently needed, one had to prove that one was
a member of the Hitler Youth.'
In other words, he joined Hitler Youth at the same time as he joined
God's Army of celibate clerics, then didn't go back to the clubhouse after
graduation, but just pretended as much as necessary to “prove” himself a
member. I bet on occasion that required a little fancy guss-stepping!
A Pope should be a man of character, someone worthy to fill the shoes
of the first Pope, Peter, whose name means “Rock.” Peter was one tough
guy, who himself attained martyrdom at the hands of the Romans, just like
his zealot leader, but insisted on a distinction from his executioners —
he wanted to be crucified upside down. Legend says he claimed to be
unworthy to of the honor of being crucified in the same manner as his
master.
Peter had shown a crazy streak early on, though, like in the Garden of
Gesthemane, when he cut off the Roman soldier's ear with his fisherman's
blade, and Jesus had to re-attach it to calm things down. Somehow, I don't
think our new Pope could fill the shoes of such a fisherman. He'd more
likely be out there with Judas, seeing what they could buy for 30 pieces
of silver. It's just what anyone else would do, and that is the standard
on which the public seems eager to judge this Pope. Why didn't they look
for a priest who was a fisherman? Then they might have even found a Pope
from Africa or South America, or some other former European colony.
Benedictu Sancti, Chas ;)
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