What should next pope be like?

That was the final question posed to a panel of scholars who have spent the last 12 months pondering the first 2,000 years of Christianity (see sidebar).

For their closing contribution to this series, The Evangelist asked this question: What qualities, talents and characteristics would you like to see in the next pope?

'Big shoes'

Jude P. Dougherty, dean emeritus of the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., said the next pope should possess "intelligence, learning, courage and a mastery of the Catholic intellectual tradition -- in other words, a clone of John Paul II."

Rev. James Wiseman, OSB, from the Department of Theology at The Catholic University, agreed, noting: "Many of the qualities of Pope John Paul II should, of course, also be found in his successor: a deep commitment to the Church, powerful communicative skills, a keen intellect etc."

Location

"He was the first non-Italian pope in centuries," Father Wiseman noted, "and that alone helped give the Church a more 'catholic' (that is, universal) character in the eyes of many people. All other things being equal, it would be good if the next pope were not only non-Italian but also non-European. Let us hope that the electors will consider candidates from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, both North and South."

Like Father Wiseman, Rev. Robert Scully, SJ, assistant professor of history at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, believes that "after having the first non-Italian pope in about 400 years, will we perhaps choose a non-European pope to reflect the changing demographics of worldwide Catholicism?"

Crossroads

"As an example, there has been a lot of debate about the letter and spirit of the Second Vatican Council, which was, in general, a balance of the type that I am suggesting: a great respect for tradition but also an openness to new ideas and practices that move the Church forward, without losing that which is essential and valuable from the past."

Like predecessor

"Many may feel that the next pope should be a radical departure from the pontificate of John Paul II," he explained. "I strongly disagree with those who express those sentiments. John Paul has reinvigorated the papacy and made it a strong voice, not only within the Church, but also within the world at large.

"The next pope must continue to be a strong moral voice, willing to take stands or positions which are counter-cultural, particularly in the area of morality. He needs to be a man who will defend the truths and teachings of the Church in spite of opposition both from within and outside of the Church."

Checklist

* "who would be characterized by a thorough-going commitment to Vatican II and by the determination to put a stop to the Roman Curia's counterattack against that Council;

* "whose commitment would manifest itself in his dedication to the collegial governance of the Church, something which the bishops called for during Vatican II;

* "who would associate his brother bishops (instead of the curial cardinals) with himself in the governance of the Church;

* "who would transform the Synod of Bishops from a merely advisory group with its agenda set by the Curia and who would grant it the authority to confront the serious questions which face the Church;

* "for whom there would be no questions ruled out in principle, including ordination of married men and of women;

* "who would put a stop to the Curia's intimidation of theologians and to the tendency of curial officials to treat the territorial bishops of the world as employees of the Church's central administration; and

* "who would be distinguished by his commitment to Catholic-Protestant ecumenism, and to exploring the possibility of pulpit and table fellowship with at least some Protestant churches."

Change of emphasis

"I would like the 21st-century successors of John Paul II to rehabilitate some of the (usually negative) impressions created by the phrase 'Catholic tradition,'" he said. "This could be accomplished as simply invoking the phrase innovatively, instead of negatively, which is what usually seems to happen.

"The headiness of Vatican II resulted from the sense that all the new-ness actually had its roots in earliest origins of the Christian tradition. After all, John XXIII claimed he wanted to open the Church's windows to let in fresh air; he did not indicate he wanted to overturn everything. Ever since then, though, it seems like Catholic tradition has become -- either in the Vatican's hands or in the eyes of those who describe the Vatican's actions -- solely a tool of repression.

"The creative use of tradition was also what fostered so much Catholic confidence in the decades leading up to the Council. Why can't that happen again, so that the world looks to Rome (and thus to Catholics everywhere) with wonder and envy at what Catholics believe and do?"

Focus

"Secular democracies have very different views from those of the Vatican, and they strongly influence Catholics who live in them. To use the most obvious example, the Vatican does not wish to ordain women and can't understand why American Catholics still push in this area. That's because American democratic culture considers women to be equal and gender-based discrimination to be a sin.

"Democracies prize freedom of speech; 'Ex Corde Ecclesiae' will not work in Western universities. People in democracies don't expect any institution to be beyond criticism, and the old Vatican approach of never admitting having done anything wrong as an institution doesn't work any more."

He made it clear that his outline "is hardly to say that the Church should adopt Western values, many of which are appalling (rampant consumerism, environmental plunder). But the new pope must recognize that the future lies with Western values. If anyone doesn't think so, then why do people from the Third World migrate to the U.S., Britain, Canada and Western Europe?"

Vision and prayer

"He would do well to have a vision of the unity of Christians and have experience with members of other churches so that his expectations could be realistic and effective. And his vision of the Church should be international and multi-cultural.

"In the ideal world, he would also be a person who can stand up to entrenched, unproductive, and even counter-productive segments of hierarchical power and begin a process of internal reform. Finally, a sense of humor would help."

Listening skills

"In the spirit of Vatican II and Pope John XXIII, the next pope should be less fearful of and more open to the modern world in a way that would allow the Church to apply to itself the teachings on human dignity and social justice that John Paul II has proclaimed so effectively to the world.

"In particular, this would mean openness to changing Church teaching and practice on the ordination of women and optional celibacy for clergy, and on more positive relations to other religions. How the Church handles the question of diversity in the world and within its own community may well be the greatest challenge of the 21st century. A pastoral approach to such issues is needed."

(12-23-99) [[In-content Ad]]