Pope Benedict XVI Blog

With major moves, question is whether Benedict will be a 'St. Michael Pope'

Spirit Daily
By Michael H. Brown

There was the rumor, the impression, the word from the start of his pontificate that Benedict XVI was not so much interested in a large Church, an expansive Church, a growing Church, as one that was true to its calling -- that was perhaps even what might be called a remnant.

There were those who said the Pope even desired to make it smaller, if that's what it took to bring it back to the early devotion of Christianity.

He'd rather have a smaller Church, if necessary, but one that was ridded of modern claptrap, that was purified.

And there it was last week: His Holiness making it clear that he was all for unity and bringing followers of Lefebvre back into the fold (and growth, if growth came without compromise), but that he was most interested in restoring majesty: the way things were before matters began to go terribly wrong after 1970.

In one fell swoop, the complexion of the Church had been altered, at least temporarily.

It was older again. It was grander. There was now the memory of a priest facing the altar of God, of deep silence, of august reverence. One observer has called it the "Benedictine Reform."

It was to be seen how far this would go.

At the same time -- not a week after Benedict lifted restrictions on the Latin Mass -- the Vatican issued a document through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that declared all non-Catholic Christian churches to be legitimate churches but ones that were "wounded": not real "churches" with a capital "C."

Non-Catholics can find salvation -- can go to Heaven, the Vatican says -- but there is something missing, Rome also has said since 2000.

The document, issued by Benedict's successor in doctrinal matters, Cardinal William Levada, aimed to correct what it called "erroneous or ambiguous" interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, which took place from 1962 to 1965.

We are the Mother Church, he was declaring. We are not going to pretend we are not the Mother Church. We prepared the very documents that are known as the Bible. We are the oldest institution on earth. This is the way we begin ecumenical discussion.

And we are not going to wash away. We are not going to compromise, not to the extent we have. The dilutions of past concessions are now going to be thickened with the majesty of true devotion -- rectified in a stronger fort.
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 1:19 PM