Guess what? The Pope is Catholic

The Ottawa Citizen's John Robson put things simply and clearly:

It's Easter and time for the annual journalistic display of baffled hostility to Christianity. On cue the Roman Catholic archbishop of Ottawa, Terrence Prendergast, pops up with the suggestion that adherents to his church who don't actually observe its rules should not expect to enjoy all the benefits of membership. A predictable chorus of howls erupted.

[...]

Remember, people who say they are Roman Catholics necessarily claim to believe the Pope is the heir of St. Peter to whom Christ gave the keys of the kingdom. This belief may be false or even foolish. But it's no secret. And Canada is a free country so you are free to reject it. The one thing you can't do is reject the authority of the Bishop of Rome yet remain in his Church, any more than you can go to a chess club and deny that its bishops move diagonally.

It is especially pitiful to hear politicians say they are obliged to represent their constituents, not their faith. They wouldn't say that about their economic beliefs, and you'd think salvation mattered more than stagflation. An honest and lucid man would surely tell voters he holds certain fundamental beliefs that entail certain policy positions, and he'd invite only those who share most or all of those positions to vote for him.

[...]

What scandalizes moderns about the church, I think, is not what it believes but simply that it believes. We are perfectly at ease with Christian clergy who deny the divinity of Christ or the resurrection, don druid suits and praise shariah law, or claim they can be at the same time priests and imams. Just as we are happy to give tenure to academics who proclaim that there is no truth, and give large fees to artists who insist that their works do not communicate or uplift and are not meant to. But we are baffled that the Pope is Catholic and if you don't like it you need to find, or found, another church...

A long-term view (which, even though an atheist, I share):

Without Christianity, our society is doomed

[...]

We imagine we can ditch Christianity and yet the good things we have inherited in our way of life will continue. They will not. Christianity formed Western civilisation and is so consubstantial with it that if Christianity goes, the lot goes with it. Let T.S. Eliot, writing in 1934, give us a text to think about this Easter: "Do you need to be told that even such modest attainments as you can boast in the way of polite society will hardly survive the Faith to which they owe their significance?"

*The Rev Dr Peter Mullen is Rector of St Michael's, Cornhill and Chaplain to the Stock Exchange

Maybe the reverend is just a filthy lapdog of the cunning capitalists. Now some good news:

Qatar hosts its first Christian church

But, guess what again: a United Church of Canada minister is on the job (Globe and Mail reporter Michael Valpy seems to approve):

Taking Christ out of Christianity

Avant garde pastor teaches a new Christianity where the way you live is more important than beliefs

Happy Bunny Day! The non-rodent is risen.

Mark C.

Update: Mr Robson is on the ichannel programme, It's Your Government, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1930, and Sundays at 2130--you can also watch online.

Posted by markc at March 22, 2008 04:25 PM