Brilliant. I especially like this part:
Christian communities with porous doctrinal and moral boundaries wither and die. Christian communities with clear doctrinal and moral borders flourish, even amidst the acids of modernity.Yet it was expected that the Catholic Church would, indeed must, take the path of accommodation: that has been the central assumption of what's typically called "progressive" Catholicism. That assumption has now been decisively and definitively refuted. The "progressive" project is over --- not because its intentions were malign, but because it posed an ultimately boring question: how little can I believe, and how little can I do, and still remain a Catholic?
In choosing a pope with an unparalleled command of ancient, medieval and modern theology, the College of Cardinals has sent a clear signal to the entire Catholic Church: The really interesting question is, how much of this rich, vast, subtle tradition have I made my own? At the same time, the College of Cardinals, by electing Pope Benedict XVI, has told both the church and the world that the evangelical adventure of dynamic orthodoxy launched by John Paul II will not only continue, but be deepened.
2 comments:
Everyone who has posted this article on their blog have chosen the exact same excerpt, and probably for all the same reasons: it's right on!
Amen to that!
I also find the writings of Pope Benedict XVI a lot more accessible than John Paul II. And it's probably due to my own personal shortcomings.
I hope many people try to read the Holy Father's writings and draw closer to the Lord because of his insights and teachings.
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