Why the name Benedict was chosen
| • | Isles' faithful mixed on conservative's election |
| • | Pontiff likely to stay course |
| • | Nazi experience left indelible imprint on new pope |
| • | The life of Pope Benedict XVI |
By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i Vatican watchers see Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's choice of the name Benedict XVI as a sign that he's more conciliatory than some might expect.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Very Rev. Joseph Grimaldi pointed to the last Pope Benedict, who codified canon law in the early 20th century. "He struggled between die-hard traditionalists and modernists, and put a stop to that," Grimaldi said. "I hope Benedict XVI has that in mind, to unite the church more closely."
Barbara Diener, a layperson, prayed for the new pope at Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.
The Rev. Marc Alexander, diocesan theologian, agreed with that interpretation.
"I think it could signal a desire to facilitate peace," Alexander said. "Benedict XV tried to keep things neutral to facilitate peace."
Grimaldi also sees parallels to the era Benedict XV lived in, during World War I. At that time, the pope called for an end to the inhumane warfare of the day.
"Aren't we facing similar things today?" Grimaldi asked.
Barbara Diener, a layperson affiliated with the Benedictine Monastery in Waialua, made a special trip to Mass yesterday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace to pray for the new pope.
She was happy with the choice, not just of Ratzinger but with the name.
"I'm happy we got a Benedict!" she said.
Connections to Hawai'i
Pope Benedict XVI has a Hawai'i connection, dating to his tenure as Cardinal Ratzinger.
Associated Press
In 1991, six Catholics had been excommunicated for breaking with the Diocese of Honolulu. The six, which included the late Pat Morley, had been quite vocal against then-Bishop Joseph Ferrario and went about establishing a chapel with priests from outside the diocese.
Pope Benedict XV served as head of the Catholic Church during World War I.
Ferrario, who died in 2003, had held that creating their own ministry was cause for excommunication.
The group appealed to Rome.
When word later came down from the Vatican, Ferrario's decision to excommunicate the six was reversed.
The ruling was that the bishop had gone too far, though the office Ratzinger held, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said Ferrario did have the right to issue a lesser discipline.
"There was upheaval in the diocese," recalled the Very Rev. Joseph Grimaldi.
Now, Pope Benedict XVI will face the choice of a new Hawai'i bishop.
Neither Grimaldi nor the current diocesan administrator, the Very Rev. Thomas Gross, would speculate on when the new pope will name a new bishop for the diocese, which has been without one for almost a year. However, further delay is possible, while the new pope considers his options.
"I don't think he'd be a rubber-stamper," said the Rev. Marc Alexander, diocesan theologian. "You figure, the appointments (of a new pope) are very important. He will really scrutinize them."
On another matter involving the pope and Hawai'i, Gross said the scheduled May 15 beatification of Mother Marianne Cope, the Kalaupapa nun who served Hansen's disease patients, still appears to be on track.
Gross spoke recently to the Franciscan nuns who are planning a trip to Rome for the beatification. "As far as they knew, it's going to go on," he said.
Comments from outside the church
"Generally I think the Catholic church has been sympathetic to issues of Muslims, and done an excellent job of separating what some Muslims do and what Islam teaches. I hope the new pope continues on that path."
— Saleem Ahmed, author of "Beyond Veil and Holy War"
"We were anticipating seeing more of a return to the Vatican II thinking that was clearly in place through John Paul II's papacy. What this signals to me is that the church is not going to do that but go into a very conservative (direction), that will affect women in their roles in the church, particularly in the United States. ... What I suspect is going to happen is that the most conservative elements of the church are now positioned so that we will see ostensible effort to conservatize the church even more. Pope John Paul II was beloved, but a micromanager. ... My fear is that this will cause a division in the church, a split perhaps within (the) American church. We feel (some) issues will not get airing they should."
— Bishop Stephen Sykes of the Inclusive Orthodox Church
