To be fair, it wasn't the pope that made the list, it was Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, a Franciscan. Franciscans tend toward liberalness and have a very holistic view of the world.
Girotti seems to be close to the pope from my quick Google skim of comments on him. While Benedict XVI is conservative, I think you'd be surprised by some of his stances. The Church has a great dichotomy of conservative and liberal at its core. Jesus' teachings were very liberal when you consider the socialistic nature of his concern for the poor, distribution of wealth, etc. The Catholic Church takes some of those things very seriously, it's just not apparent on the surface as the politics of a right to life, etc., steal the show. Many forget that within the right to life, for instance, the Church has taken a VERY strong stand against the death penalty and against war in general (what many would deem liberal) while emphasizing that quality of life is a "sanctity of life" issue.
My very typical theology classes I took from a very typical Catholic college were shockingly progressive at times. It's not all black and white.
Girotti seems to be close to the pope from my quick Google skim of comments on him. While Benedict XVI is conservative, I think you'd be surprised by some of his stances. The Church has a great dichotomy of conservative and liberal at its core. Jesus' teachings were very liberal when you consider the socialistic nature of his concern for the poor, distribution of wealth, etc. The Catholic Church takes some of those things very seriously, it's just not apparent on the surface as the politics of a right to life, etc., steal the show. Many forget that within the right to life, for instance, the Church has taken a VERY strong stand against the death penalty and against war in general (what many would deem liberal) while emphasizing that quality of life is a "sanctity of life" issue.
My very typical theology classes I took from a very typical Catholic college were shockingly progressive at times. It's not all black and white.
Reply
Leave a comment