Comments on: The Pope’s political views

By: BlairM

BlairM — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:16:07 +0000

I have a sneaking suspicion that the next Pope will be Catholic. I am constantly amazed at the number of commentators who hope for a non-Catholic Pope and seem so downcast when it inevitably does not happen.

By: Fletch

Fletch — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:47:27 +0000

I don’t think some people understand. The Pope isn’t like a president or prime minister whose personal views they bring to the job. The views of the Church will never change when it comes to abortion, homosexuality, women priests, contraception et al.
It doesn’t matter who the next Pope as regards these views.

By: Alan Wilkinson

Alan Wilkinson — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:06:30 +0000

I do like Beppe Grillo’s campaign policy plank quoted in the Herald today: the right for priests to have children “so they don’t touch other people’s”.

By: RRM

RRM — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:56:09 +0000

http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/tui-on-tamaki.html

By: barry

barry — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:48:28 +0000

Mark (1,004) Says:
February 25th, 2013 at 9:56 am

Mark – do some reading . Only cardinals who are under 80 years old can vote for the pope.

By: Andrei

Andrei — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:30:08 +0000

Nobody knows who the next Pope will be and anybody who has a real clue on the matter is not the sort of person that would provide good copy for hack reporters

By: RRM

RRM — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:07:00 +0000

Christendom – the world’s largest oppressed minority!

One billion suffering martyrs and growing every day

By: Lucia Maria

Lucia Maria — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:57:54 +0000

Jesuit, Fr. Thomas Reese's opinion on Pope Benedict XVI's political opinions are problematic, in that he's the type who will read what the Holy Father has actually said and then reinterpret it to suit his own political leanings. Fr Reese is a theological liberal and an economic socialist, while as Pope Benedict XVI is not either of them. Here's a good critique of something Fr Reese wrote that basically said that Pope Benedict was against any reduction in government regulation, when he said nothing of the sort: Fr Thomas J Reese, SJ, gets it wrong again? A number of years ago, I wrote a post refuting the idea that Marx had been rehabilitated by the Church, an article by a Georg Sans that was first published in a Jesuit paper, before being published in the Vatican paper and then released to the world. That the Jesuits have been endorsing this view is not surprising and they seem to have a massive problem with theological liberals and economic socialists in their ranks right now. Leftism is actually incompatible with Christianity, despite proponents such as Fr Reese who try to make out that it is. Therefore, his analysis of Pope Benedict's political views and those of the men he has appointed as Cardinals, is deeply flawed.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:56:44 +0000

Barry you are simply wrong. The Catholics have growing numbers with a large contingent if young people attending Mass weekly. But it always sounds plausible I guess.

By: barry

barry — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:29:52 +0000

And most of them are over 80 and cant vote.

So his opinion is a load of toss………….

By: Mobile Michael

Mobile Michael — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:24:52 +0000

And this effects you? Frankly, most regular church going Catholics do not subscribe to the economic views of the Church, they’d rather just do the requisite Hail Mary’s to stay out of trouble. Even a good whack of them are in favour of liberal social positions, except perhaps abortion.

By: Manolo

Manolo — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:33:46 +0000

I disagree. Today’s National Party members are well to the left of the two mentioned above.