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A TIME Forum: American Catholics suggest priorities the new Pontiff
should tackle in the days ahead |
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Posted Sunday, April 24, 2005
SISTER HELEN PREJEAN
Crusader against the death penalty and author of Dead Man Walking:
Most of the world is in poverty; starvation and malnutrition kill a
lot more people than wars do ... He could go into the neighborhoods
of the poor—it would bring him directly in touch with what we're
doing to Mother Earth. Where the poor people are is where the toxic
wastes are. He could follow the line of Pope John Paul II, who talked
about how being aware of [what we're] doing to Earth is part of
spirituality. It is not of another world but is linked very much to
this one.
TOM MONAGHAN
Founder of Ave Maria University in Naples, Fla., and the Domino's
Pizza chain:
I'm hoping he does something about Catholic education. Catholics just
don't understand their faith. They don't understand why the church
has the authority to tell them that they have to do this and they
can't do that ... This should be a benevolent monarchy, not a
democracy. The church in one sense is a military organization, just
like the Marine Corps.
MARIO CUOMO
Former Governor of New York:
The most one can expect, although it's less than one can hope for,
would be an admission by the Pope that the man-made rules are
alterable by the church that made them. Even an unannounced but
perceptible change in its attitude about contraceptives. Those rules
are not enforced in this country. No priest will get up on the pulpit
on Sunday and say, "Those who use contraceptives should leave the
church."
MARY GORDON
Barnard College professor and author, most recently of Pearl:
I'd like him to understand that with an AIDS pandemic, to hold the
line against the use of condoms is to ensure that many, many people
will die. I would like him to be concerned with actual human
suffering rather than with philosophical theological abstractions.
RICK SANTORUM
U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania:
He's got to continue the ideals and evangelize. There are great
challenges in many areas of the world for the church, whether it's
China or the problems with Islam in Africa and parts of Asia. All
those great and pressing problems with the persecution of the church
throughout many areas of the world. What John Paul II did was reach
out, attempt a dialogue. The challenge for Benedict will be to see if
he can break down these barriers to religious tolerance.
JENNIFER REED
Member of the Young Adult Advisory Board at the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops:
A lot of youth today are more conservative. Pope Benedict XVI's views
are conservative and traditional, and he will give answers to those
of us who are searching. The biggest challenge facing Pope Benedict
XVI is how he's going to deal with issues of women in the church. The
Catholic youth I work with believe women should be leaders—but as
lay servants of the church serving the community through liturgy and
as Eucharistic ministers, not as priests administering sacraments.
GILBERTO CARDENAS
Director of the Institute for Latino Studies:
In time, the Pope will have to deal with issues of gender. I'm
hopeful that they will be thought through carefully. There has to be
serious conversation about leadership based on re-examination of
doctrine, allowing women to become priests in time ... In Europe and
the U.S. we're losing ground in terms of the preparation of new
priests. The numbers are declining and really hitting hard in areas
of great need. The church needs to address this.
THE REV. RICHARD McBRIEN
Theology professor at the University of Notre Dame:
The highest item on his agenda should be the sexual-abuse crisis in
the priesthood. It is the most serious crisis in the Roman Catholic
Church since the Reformation. Pope Benedict can do something to
restore the credibility of the priesthood. He can show the members of
the church he understands the gravity of the crisis by calling in a
representative group of victims and families and expressing the
sorrow and repentance of the church. He can ask their forgiveness.
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