On second thought,I agree with you Wotan regarding the tact of such a move. I just have a hard time believing the cardinals will abandon or set aside some of their own prejudices which i’m fairly certain atleast a few of them have. Also,whether they have prejudices or not, I think many would
simply fear the consequences of such a choice. However, if the outside pressure from powerful individuals and groups such as the opus dei is strong enough, they very well may be compelled to vote for Arinze or another “unorthodox” figure. I am sincerely hoping they don’t elect Arinze or someone like him,not because I am in any way racist. I just think such a move would placate many progressives and convince them the church
is evolving. If they simply elect another stodgy white european,the church’s position in the western world will probably continue to grow more and more untenable. Arinze is no reformer and anyway, it does’nt matter if he was. Like I’ve said in other posts,what really is pope but a figurehead. All the real power comes from behind the scenes. I doubt
the most liberal-minded pontiff could change the church’s positions on
birth control and other issues. Like everything in nature,the church will respond best to that great motivator,fear. If enough western progressives finally stop calling themselves Catholics,since their beliefs are often diametrically opposed to that of the official church,then we may see some
change.I hardly believe the church can make up the difference in the third world. Statistics show that a large percentage of american catholics disagree with the church’s teaching on many issues. I would suspect the number is atleast as high among europeans and other westerners. Many of the conservatives are old and have one foot in the grave. That said,if a substantial number of people grow some B***S and defect the church will either evolve or wither with litttle more than developing world support.
I think the days of the religious like JP II and the laity like Patrick Buchannon are numbered no matter what. If they at all value their
2000 y/o institution they better recognize this. If history and human
nature are at all good indicators I fear they will not. If the church
eventually either perishes or becomes a shell of it’s former self,it’s
no skin off my a**. However, it would be a shame to see an institution that could have been such a positive force in the world fail outright.
I cannot believe with all my loathing of the Catholic Church, that even
I would be happy that 2000 years of bloodshed,bad policies, etc…has
come and gone without some far more worthy accomplishments to it’s
credit. I won’t say the church has never acheived anything worthwhile,far
from it. But I sincerely think unless the church changes significantly and rapidly,that history will not be too kind to the Roman Catholic Church.
