The loss of Pope John Paul II has brought out great emotions for many people across the globe. For days hundreds of millions of Catholics across the globe mourned the death of the late Polish pontificate yet were enthralled by the prospect of who his successor should be. On Tuesday, the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Ratzinger to be the next pope. There is great speculation about what Cardinal Ratzinger, now called Pope Benedict XVI will do in office.
A new Pope could mean a new direction for the church, and a new interpretation of Catholic dogma, leading to radical changes in the practices of Catholics worldwide. Benedict XVI, age 78, was a trusted friend of John Paul II and was in step with John Paul II's conservative interpretations of Church doctrine. It is believed he will simply continue the legacy of John Paul II for the next few years until he dies. It is also speculated that Benedict XVI will serve as a kind of transitional papacy between the lengthy reign of John Paul II and Benedict XVI's successor.
However, I must ask: what will be the effects of a new pontificate on the world? A friend suggested that the late John Paul II was inherently evil because he opposed birth control and contraceptives and hampered the fight against AIDS.
Although I believe that such a stance is extreme, those who do not do everything possible to fight AIDS are not inherently evil. For the head of the Catholic Church to uphold its fundamental doctrines is not malevolent. However, it is wrong to let those doctrines lead to suffering. I have great respect for the late John Paul II, regardless of his stances on Church doctrine and social issues. He was a great statesmen and intellectual, and attempted to remedy many of the past errors of the Catholic Church. However, in upholding Church doctrine he caused suffering, or did not do enough to prevent it, and he was in error.
A key tenet of the Catholic Church is that the mission of all men, the Pope included, is to help preach God's will on earth. Part of that mission is to help end suffering, war, disease and poverty.
When Cardinal Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II in 1978, it was his duty to continue this mission in any way possible; if it became apparent that church doctrine no longer allowed for the fulfillment of these key values that Catholicism centers around, then it was his duty to change them. If John Paul II did not change doctrine to conform with these larger values of the Church, then he failed in some respect during his papacy.
Benedict XVI has a chance to continue the good themes of John Paul II's papacy while correcting minor errors the late Pope might have committed. This might include liberalizing dogma on such issues as stem cell research, AIDS, and allowing priests to marry. Many say that this will not happen since Benedict XVI was an official enforcer of John Paul's conservative interpretations of Church doctrine. I do not wish to rule out such an option; a new Papacy means a chance for a new direction for the church.
There are millions of Catholics in the world, and a new direction for the Church could mean a new direction for the world. People of all faiths and nationalities should look eagerly to see in what direction Benedict XVI will lead the church. He could continue the legacy of John Paul II, or he could be true to his namesake, Benedict XV (a supposedly liberal Pope for his day during the years of WWI).
The new pope could revolutionize interpretations of Church dogma, modernizing them for the time of issues such as AIDS and stem cell research. He could take stances to further help end human suffering and help all of humanity.
-Aaron Glaser is a sophomore political science major.
