In my posting of yesterday I hoped that the Pope would investigate more thoroughly the CV’s of bishops before they would be promoted to a cardinal or archbishop position. Also I said that I had read (which I did) that Benedict XVI is too much a solo-intellectual. Today, however, I read in my newspaper “Trouw” that Benedict had indeed inquired extensively about Mr. Wielgus before supporting him to become inaugurated as the archbishop of Poland. Only after he had been informed about surveys which demonstrated more than 50% Polish “rejecters” and newspaper articles which revealed the real truth, he withdrew his support and Mr. Wielgus had to resign.
My reasons to be a Roman-Catholic are mainly spiritual: the celebrations, the sacraments, the ways to get as close to God, or, better, to open up your mind for God, are for me best found in the R.C. Church. There was a time in which I didn’t want to be a member of such a church with these hierarchical political rules and machinations, but around a year ago I came back to the Church, accepted the restrictions and swallowed my objections, because I felt God was calling me if I may say so. So, I am a heavy sinner because I married for a second time and in the eyes of the Church I am a bigamist although I am officially divorced fourteen years ago and married again for Dutch law twelve years ago. The Church doesn’t acknowledge this and this prevents me from participation in some important Sacraments. So far, so good. We have an excellent vicar and parish, and nobody gives me the feeling of being expelled or set apart or whatever. This is one of the examples in which you learn that a religion cannot be seen as “one package” that you have to take or leave. In Dutch religious history many protestant churches were born because some people interpreted a bible text in a different way than some other people did, and a new church had been born.
But what happened here in Poland is really unbelievable. First lying to the Pope, then asking for understanding to the faithful, then resignation during the inauguration Mass. Dear Mr. Wielgus, please put on a monk’s habit, scatter ashes on your head, and disappear in a monastery. And also the reaction of Archbishop Glemp: the documents that proved the unreliability of Mr. Wielgus’ words to the Pope were in his words only “loose rags of paper”.
Maybe you have to be a Polish to understand all this. Anyway, the newspaper article concluded that the Polish Church had to adjust itself to changing times.
My reasons to be a Roman-Catholic are mainly spiritual: the celebrations, the sacraments, the ways to get as close to God, or, better, to open up your mind for God, are for me best found in the R.C. Church. There was a time in which I didn’t want to be a member of such a church with these hierarchical political rules and machinations, but around a year ago I came back to the Church, accepted the restrictions and swallowed my objections, because I felt God was calling me if I may say so. So, I am a heavy sinner because I married for a second time and in the eyes of the Church I am a bigamist although I am officially divorced fourteen years ago and married again for Dutch law twelve years ago. The Church doesn’t acknowledge this and this prevents me from participation in some important Sacraments. So far, so good. We have an excellent vicar and parish, and nobody gives me the feeling of being expelled or set apart or whatever. This is one of the examples in which you learn that a religion cannot be seen as “one package” that you have to take or leave. In Dutch religious history many protestant churches were born because some people interpreted a bible text in a different way than some other people did, and a new church had been born.
But what happened here in Poland is really unbelievable. First lying to the Pope, then asking for understanding to the faithful, then resignation during the inauguration Mass. Dear Mr. Wielgus, please put on a monk’s habit, scatter ashes on your head, and disappear in a monastery. And also the reaction of Archbishop Glemp: the documents that proved the unreliability of Mr. Wielgus’ words to the Pope were in his words only “loose rags of paper”.
Maybe you have to be a Polish to understand all this. Anyway, the newspaper article concluded that the Polish Church had to adjust itself to changing times.
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