Ratzinger is no traditionalist

As pointed out by Howard Sutherland in a VFR discussion in December 2003, based on a Washington Times editorial linked by Joel LeFevre, Cardinal Ratzinger’s credentials as a traditionalist have been greatly overstated:

An acknowledged hyper-modernist theologian at the Second Vatican Counsel, he is now considered the most conservative of prelates by today’s hyper-modernists. True traditionalists know better! Ratzinger himself admits that he has not moved, the Church has moved to the Left around him. To his credit, in more recent years, Ratzinger has become more honest about the ravages that liturgical “reform” has caused. Still, he remains a man of Vatican II, which is why I would be wary were he to succeed John Paul.

See Paul Cella’s reply to Mr. Sutherland. Clearly, this is a different view of Ratzinger than that recently posted by Eugene Girin. Also, the thread from 2003 contains an interesting discussion about the pros and cons of a black African Pope from the point of view of Western civilization.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 19, 2005 07:46 AM | Send