另外一篇 教宗訪問的討論
http://thepope.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/great-expectations/
What will the pope say?
What will Pope Benedict XVI say during his visit to the United States? His
overall message, he recently announced, will be “Christ Our Hope.” But that
theological construct is an elastic theme that can encompass multiple
messages. Will the pope stick to a simple proclamation of the Gospel? Or will
he tackle the hot-button issues that have come to define the “culture wars,”
like same-sex marriage, abortion or the Iraq war? Likewise, will he take aim
at neuralgic issues in the church, like the sexual abuse crisis or religious
fidelity among Catholic colleges?
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, said that his
boss would almost certainly address the lasting effects of the sexual abuse
crisis, when he addresses priests and members of religious order during the
Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. (Which raises more questions: Will he lay
the blame on gay priests, call for atonement from bishops, speak more broadly
about reconciliation, or all three?)
On the other hand, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican’s ambassador to the
United States, noted puckishly: “There have been many failed prophets who
have tried to anticipate what the pope will say here and there. I can tell
you only what the pope will say, the pope himself knows, and nobody else.”
Also, some sources have confided that the pope’s speeches for this trip are
being written in Rome, in contrast to those used during the visits of John
Paul, when American experts would send suggestions for his talks, and flag
potential missteps in draft documents.
So will the pope focus on the secular or the sacred?
Most likely, both. While his address at The Catholic University of America
will certainly speak about the proclamation of the Gospel, the assembled
Catholic college presidents should expect at least a few mentions of their
responsibility to be faithful to church teaching on issues like homosexuality
and abortion. While crowds at Nationals Stadium and Yankee Stadium will hear
about the love of God, they may also hear about the perils of American
consumerism, not to mention “relativism,” something that then-Cardinal
Joseph Ratzinger discussed on the eve of his election as pope.
In any event, in the Catholic tradition, secular-sacred is a false dichotomy.
The Gospel always has something to say about the secular world. In the Gospel
of Matthew, Jesus tells his listeners that the litmus test for entrance into
heaven is not how often you pray, but how you treat the poor in this world.
More recently, when Pope John Paul II came to Yankee Stadium in 1979, he used
the Gospel story of a poor man and a rich man in heaven to remind Americans
about their obligation to the poor. “You must never be content to leave just
the crumbs of the feast. You must take of your substance, and not just of
your abundance, in order to help them.” Sacred responsibilities are
expressed in a secular world.
Unfortunately, many Catholics may hear Benedict only on the hot-button
topics. “Christ is risen!” is a bold proclamation, but in many corners it
may not be especially newsworthy, and so therefore not worth reporting. The
Vicar of Christ may speak at length on the invitation to hope, and spend a
few seconds on same-sex marriage, but the latter will inevitably get more
play.
All the more reason to read the complete talks of Pope Benedict XVI, a
teacher par excellence, rather than relying solely on soundbites and
boiled-down commentary.
And find out for yourself what he is saying.
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