Letters: May 23, 2005

Inside the Mind of the Pope

Readers responded to our stories on the new Pontiff, some with celebration, some with disillusionment. Conservative Catholics rejoiced in the selection of a man known as John Paul II's strong right hand. Progressives expressed a feeling that any hope for a reformist papacy will have to wait

"Let Benedict XVI begin his papacy tabula rasa, unhindered by his reputation. Give him a chance to show himself as our shepherd."

ELLEN SZALINSKI -- Chicago

TIME's cover stories on the election of Pope Benedict XVI and about his religious philosophy were excellent [May 2]. I believe he was chosen by the Holy Spirit. It's fine to talk of worldly politics, but in the end, the Pope, Christ's vicar on earth, is elected simply because it is the will of God. I have absolutely no doubt that Benedict is the right man to lead the church.

BILL SULLIVAN -- Colorado Springs, Colo.

Thank you for your coverage of the election of our new Pope. We Catholics cannot explain in mere human terms the joy of having chosen a Pope. But as the whole world has seen, we certainly can express that joy. As free and responsible persons, we follow the Pope, the vicar of Christ on earth, not out of fear but out of love. We know by faith that when we listen to the Pope, we follow Christ.

(THE REV.) MICHAEL ANGELO CARDENAS -- Manila

You revealed the new Pope to be an uncompromising old man who will not respond to American Catholics' disenchantment with the church's antiquated edicts. Doctrinal disagreements in the past have caused groups to split from the Catholic Church and go their own way. When will a new generation of Catholics refuse to tolerate the frustration they feel about church dogma that they do not follow anyway? Can they find a new Martin Luther to break with the power-hungry old men in Rome? In a new church in synch with current values, vacant pulpits could be filled by married men and by women. The "cafeteria Catholics," who choose among the church teachings they wish to follow and whom the Pope disdains, would return to their pews on Sundays. Enlightened views on contraception, stem-cell research, sexual discrimination and abortion could be accepted. The question is not if but when such a break will occur. The new Pope may be the catalyst for that sorely needed change.

DICK DECKER -- Seaside, Calif.

It was a great day for all Catholics when Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope. He will maintain Roman Catholic tradition as he teaches the world about the truth of Jesus Christ. As for the so-called liberal Catholics, who have been pushing for social change in the church, they should not expect this Pope to take up their cause.

BILL PETRUSKY JR. -- Montville, N.J.

As a Catholic woman, I was very disappointed to see that your chart "Spheres of Influence," about the historical and contemporary figures who have shaped Benedict XVI's traditional brand of thinking, included no women. That does not bode well for Catholic women.

EVELYN S. HLABSE -- Richmond Heights, Ohio