“A lot of Catholics use condoms, a lot of Catholics are divorced, and a lot don’t have a particular opinion about whether you are homosexual. But when the Pope stands up and says, ‘This is what Catholics believe,’ he still gets credit for speaking for more than a billion people.” Glen Slade
Pope Benedict XVI is touring Australia for the first time. It’s big news for 27.81% of Australians who are Catholic including our very own Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. What does it mean for the remaining 72.19% of Australians who are not Catholic? Will the papal PR tour media blitz, with cool youth day activities, rock concert style masses at sports arenas, boat tours of Sydney Harbour, and apologies on behalf of pedophilic Catholic priests tempt more souls into considering the Catholic Lifestyle choice?
The Star
Pope Benedict XVI the spiritual head of the Roman Catholic Church since the 24th April 2005. Joseph Alois Ratzinger, the man playing this iconic role of Pope is from Bavaria Germany, born on Holy Saturday, 16th April 1927. He was enrolled in Hitler Youth, albeit he was an unenthusiastic member, he is a prolific best selling author, a defender of traditional catholic doctrine with a taste for fancy vintage papal finery.
Will the posterboy for Catholicism prompt us to consider God? What does it mean to be a catholic in 2008? Stylopath reviews the religious lifestyle choice of Catholicism. The obvious starting point being……..
The Ten Commandments
1. You shall have no other Gods before me
2. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God.
3. Keep the sabbath ‘Holy’
4. Honour your Father and Mother
5. You shall not kill
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s house
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife
The ten commandments are ten subject headings for moral theology, shared by Christians of other religious faiths beside catholicism.
Canon Law
This is the ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the oldest continually functioning legal system in the world. The law derives it’s formal authority from the Pope, who as Supreme Pontiff possesses the totality of legislative, executive, and judicial power in his person. The actual subject material of the canons is not just doctrinal or moral in nature, but indeed all-encompassing of the human condition.
Catholic obligations from Canon Law include
1. Going to mass weekly and on days of Holy Obligation
2. Going to confession at least once a year or sooner if possible for more frequent sinners
3. Obey the teaching of the “Holy Father’, the Pope and the teaching of the Magisterium
4. Abortion is murder. It is not a mother’s choice, the child is not hers, the child belongs to God
5. Do not practice contraception
6. Have a loving devotion of the blessed mother of God
7. Pray the Rosary everyday
8. Support the church financially
“Obey your superiors and be subject to them, for they keep watch as having to render an account of your souls; so that they may do this with joy, and not with grief, for that would not be expedient for you.” Hebrews 13:17
In busy contemporary times it maybe a challenge to adhere to all of the obligations required by the Roman Catholic Church. With a traditional figure head who has taken to donning such articles of clothing as the camauro (red winter hat), the capello romano or saturno (red wide brimmed hat), the mozzetta (gold and red embroidered papal shoulder cape) and papal slippers (red leather made by the papal cobbler), Benedict XVI is a visual powerhouse of traditionalism and ruthless detail.
In 1997 when the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, learned that the Pope of the time, John Paul II was to appear with Bob Dylan, he was so appalled he tried to prevent the act from proceeding. Pope Benedict, who prefers Mozart, says that he “doubts to this day whether it was right to let this kind of so-called prophet take the stage” in front of the pope.
Failing to adhere to canon law in it’s entirety will not allow one entry into the kingdom of heaven. Some recent examples of the strict adherence to the requirements of catholicism include two elderly Carmelite nuns who last month chained themselves to the Vatican Post after being expelled from their convent and church after 50 years of monastic life for being disobedient, for leaving the convent temporarily for health reasons.
The Catholic Church’s position on gay marriage is well known, but not as many may be aware that the Catholic Church does not allow impotent men to get married, even if the bride-to-be has full knowledge of this condition.
The Relevance
“At some point, there is going to be enough pressure that it is just going to be too embarrassing to believe in God.” Sam Harris.
Richard Dawkins, British Scientist and the world’s most famous atheist does not just disagree with religious myths he disagrees with tolerating them. His book The God Delusion
The church of the non believers, a crusade against belief in God led by Richard Dawkins: Evolutionary Bioligist, Sam Harris: Neuroscientist and Daniel Dennet: Philosopher, take a trip down logic lane evolution against creationism, Big Bang against Adam & Eve.
Until we can make A Phonecall to God, the pope just maybe the next best alternative.
