The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI: A commentary by Fr. Barron

Another part of a video series from Wordonfire.org. Father Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture. For more visit http://www.wordonfire.org

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[Clitorisaurus]

This is interesting, because my comparative religions teacher, a bad Catholic, suggested that Benedict's and JP's aims were both to reverse the legacy of Vatican II. I'm sure she's wrong, but I wonder how you two could have come to such disparate conclusions.

[wordonfirevideo]

I would suggest that your comparative religion teacher hadn't read the texts of Vatican II closely.

[john beer]

father? Matthew 23:9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

[wordonfirevideo]

Oh brother... I can't tell you how tiresome this "objection" is! What do you call your father when you refer to him in the third person? Don't you see how silly it is to take this saying of the Lord literally?

[TenderTrap86]

Well, everything I say is a footnote to Fulton Sheen or GK Chesterton. Chesterton said psychotherapy is confession without absolution. And, in one of Sheen's shows he describes the difference between pscyhoanalysis and confession. In psychoanalysis we lay down and have our sins explained away by diagnosing disorders and complexes. But, in confession we kneel and tear off the mask of excuses, diagnoses and complexes. We make no excuse for our sins and say to the Lord "This is who I am. Save me ".

[pce81z]

your videos are a bit too upbeat and positive for me.

[TenderTrap86]

Sin is a choice. It is made upon one's own free will.

God is incomprehensibly good. Life is a gift. Why do any of us exist? We need not exist, but we do. And, to be given the chance at this life may lead to life everlasting, and pain and suffering wil not exist, anymore. Pain and suffering wasn't God's plan for the world. But, like fire strengthens steel and purifies gold, so God strengthens and purifies us, if we let Him.

Love is always meaningful and good, no matter who gives or receives.

[Phillip Lightweis-Goff]

We cannot owe a "debt" to a creator to whom we did not choose to go into debt... and to claim this god is "incomprehensibly good" in the face of suffering renders goodness completely muddled and broken; it is only between fallible people that love is meaningful.

[TenderTrap86]

It's not shirking off responsibility, in any way, shape or form. It is taking the responsibility onto oneself.

I believe you are a non-Catholic, or at least not practicing. But, the way the Church sees it, and the way the whole world should see it, is that any suffering we experience in this life is never the debt we owe God due to sin. God is incomprehensibly good and gives us good things, like a good parent would a child. A child doesn't deserve things. The child only receives out of love.

[Phillip Lightweis-Goff]

That's FAR worse. Absolution is a shirking of physical responsibilities via metaphysical wizardry. Rather than psychoanalysis having "sins explained away by diagnosing disorders and complexes", it brings such problems to the fore so that WE can confront these issues head on, day by day... rather than repressing and taking them out on others.

[john beer]

Harassing? Just showing your error! It is your choice to research the facts or not, Not my problem. But this is why I do it.

James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

[capone70]

No disrespect, but your teacher does not sound like a "bad Catholic" but rather a former Catholic. This "legacy" (often referred to by wayward/loopy miscreants as the "spirit") of Vatican II is code for whatever whim or novelty the person in question wants...most time with no basis in reality or actual documentation of Vatican II. I woulnd't confront your professor on this (she is afterall the person who will grade you) but if she does so again, kindly ask for a specific example.

[capone70]

Hello Father, I would agree with every assessment on Pope Benedict's legacy you gave. And I will add 1 more: humility. He inherrited an indescribable mess from (created by?) his predecessor: he didn't contribute to it as has been proven-- actually he tried to resolve/prevent it. But in the spirit of humility, he took on the responsibility and culpability as the leader of the church and apologized for something he had nothing to do with. I can think of few church leaders with more humility.

[capone70]

You're not very smart or informed. Pope Benedict did more than ANY other church on the planet to prevent child abuse by clergy. The American Prosecuters in the US praised him for his compliance (you can google this, assuming you know how to do so). The numbers of abuse accusations in the past 5 years in the US is less than 9 a year. Meanwhile in the Protestant churches the numbers are still in the hundreds per year. Get a life and an education.