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The editor of the Jesuit magazine America has been forced to resign that position after a long and contentious history of bucking the Vatican.

The Jesuits are a very liberal branch of the Catholic church and American Jesuits are often at odds with Rome on basic teachings.

Editor of Jesuit’s America magazine forced to resign under Vatican pressure
Jesuit Fr. Thomas J. Reese, editor for the past seven years of America magazine, a premier publication of Catholic thought and opinion, has resigned at the request of his order following years of pressure for his ouster from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The resignation caps five years of tensions and exchanges among the congregation, which was headed at the time by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, the Jesuits and Reese, according to sources close to the magazine who asked not to be identified.

An Excellent article from Michael Novak on the meaning of Pope Benedict’s fight against what he calls Relativism.

Michael Novak on Cardinal Ratzinger on National Review Online
Cardinal Ratzinger’s sermon on relativism at the Mass for the Election of a Supreme Pontiff hit the note most important both in his own life and in the coming life of the Church, in an age calling itself “post-modern” but perhaps more accurately described as the Age of Meaninglessness.

In his most formative years, Ratzinger heard Nazi propaganda shouting that there is no truth, no justice, there is only the will of the people (enunciated by its leader). As its necessary precondition, Nazism depended on the debunking of objective truth and objective morality. Truth had to be derided as irrelevant, and naked will had to be exalted.

To anybody who said: “But that’s false!” the Nazi shouted, “That’s just your opinion, and who are you, compared to Der Fuehrer?”

To anybody who said, “But what you are doing is unjust!” the Nazi shouted louder, “Says you, swine.”

Relativism means this: Power trumps.

This is something of a continuation from this earlier post. I want to examine in a bit more detail the people that wanted and expected that the Catholic Church to liberalize it’s views and teachings on some social issues. Did anyone actually believe that a “Liberal” pope would have come from the Conclave? Almost every man there was raised to that position by Pope John Paul II over his 26+ year reign. He wasn’t installing weak kneed, wishy washy leaders, he was elevating people that he believed had the fortitude to do what is right, not always what is popular with a vocal miniority.

The fact is, it is the arrogance of the American members of the Catholic Church that raises the issues that our main stream media treats as if they are the only issues that matter. Go to a church in Latin America or the growing African congregations or over most of Europe and ask if gay marriage or contraception should be condoned by the church and they will think you are insane. Only 7% of all Catholics are in the United States, but these are only issues here.

There are some in America that believe that because they want changes to justify their beliefs and actions, the entire 1 billion members of the Catholic Church want it too, this is due to the the self importance that Americans have deluded themselves into believing. And make no mistake, not all Americans what this Liberalization of church teaching. It is a vocal minority that wants the church to see things in shades of gray, nothing is really wrong or really right. But the church should be where right and wrong are boldly defined, if is is not the church that makes these definitions, then who will?

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Let’s look for a moment at the religions that are experiencing growth, it is the religions and denominations that are holding to a strict following of their teachings. Over the past few decades, while many American Catholics have been calling for a weakening of the church doctrine, it is the Fundamental and Evangelical Christian denominations that have seen massive growth. This branch of Christianity has held with a stricter following to the Bible teachings and it has become obvious that this is what a great many Americans want.

Also, the growth in Muslin denominations has grown in America. Again, the growth is due to the fact that people want a strong belief system to adhere to. The rules are strict, yet it’s followers believe that it is the right thing for them.

Conversely, the Episcopal Church has very liberalized views and teachings. With their election of an openly gay bishop last year, it is obvious that this church is on the verge of a split. this church’s policies have gone so far to the left that even most of it’s members disagree with it.

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Will or should there be a split in the Catholic Church? part of me hopes that there will not be, but I can’t understand why so many Americans that claim to be Catholic, refuse to adhere to it’s most basic teachings. The church’s stance on life is only in question for a minority of American Catholics, as are it’s views on things like stem cell research, cloning, woman in the priesthood, marriage for priests, homosexuality and the other issues that America’s media thinks are important.

I feel as strongly about the changes in the church as Andrew Sullivan, but my anger would come if after 2,000 years, the church would suddenly change it’s teachings to make him happy. This change would destroy the beliefs of a huge majority of Catholics world wide.

I posted my initial thoughts in this post Habemus Papam.

I’d like to just post a few thoughts. I think it is terrible that the American media is already criticizing the new Pope in their sly, backhanded way. The only way the American media would have been happy is if they would have selected a religiously weak man. One willing to cave on the things that they, the media, deem important. These “important items” include, but are not limited to birth control / abortion, the role of women in the church, stance on homosexuality & gay marriage, euthanasia, moral relativism etc.

Pope Benedict is a man that is strong in his beliefs. He is a man that sees things as black & white, not shades of gray, and he is willing to demand that the right things be done, this is what makes him so unpopular with many American Catholics. So many of them want to be Catholic only when convenient to them and not be forced to do the hard (the right) thing.

Some in the media are talking about Cardinal Ratzinger being a controversial figure, well Pope John Paul II had the same things said about him because of his inflexible beliefs. And who was the most controversial person in the history of the world? My vote goes to Jesus Christ, so controversy is not necessarily a bad thing.

Catholics like Anderew Sullivan are angry because of the church’s stance on homosexuality will not be liberalized with Pope Benedict. People like Sullivan or anyone else (pick the personal cause) believe that the entire church should change it’s teachings to justify their beliefs or actions. The church teachings have not changed in 2000 years, but they demand that it be the CHURCH that conforms to THEM.

We as Catholics accept The Holy See as the word of God, it’s part of being a Catholic. If you can’t live by church teachings, why do you claim to be Catholic? Milwaukee radio talk show host Mark Belling has talked before about this issue and questions if Liberal elements of the Catholic Church in America would be happier if they split away from the Roman Catholic Church much the same way as the Greek Orthodox Church did.

Kevin asks “Am I the only one here that seems to think that the MSM (Main Stream Media) wants a Protestant running the Catholic Church?” Yes Kevin, the MSM and some American Catholics.

I, for one, am very happy with this choice.

UPDATE: On Sullivan’s Comments
Professor Bainbridge is right on, Andrew Sullivan is an Ass. Please check his retorts to Sullivan’s rant, it’s REALLY good.

Michelle Malkin has a lot of good links too

We have a Pope

No real details yet, but on the fourth ballot, a new Pope was elected.

it’s Ratzinger

Benedict the 16^th is the name he will take. I feel great about this choice! A man that Pope John Paul II trusted

Wow, the timing on my lunch break was great, I’m glad I was able to see this, it is something that hasn’t been done in almost 27 years.

Why is American Media already talking about the negatives (as THEY see them)?

Someone please remind the American Media that American Catholics only make up about 7% of the Church and the “problems” they keep focusing on is (married priests, women priests, abortion etc.) are only differences held by a portion of the American Catholics, so it is a tiny percentage of Catholics world wide. They just don’t seem to ‘get it’

The tone deaf Racine School Board is having a meeting to prepare the efforts to raise your taxes again. Their last referendum was only a few weeks ago and it was shot down bad, causing the board to throw a fit.

If you are attending the meeting tonight, Charlie Sykes has some questions you might want to ask and if you attend the meeting, I would be interested in hearing your comments, my email address is on my side bar.

Newsradio 620 WTMJ: Charlie Sykes
QUESTIONS FOR THE RACINE BOARD

Racine’s School meets tonight, probably to lay the groundwork for a new tax-increase referendum. Students will deliver petitions and emotional please not to cut their favorite programs. The board members will wring their hands and decide that they simply must raise taxes even higher.

Follow the link for the excellent questions.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan is really getting proactive, showing once again that he is a strong conservative leader of the Catholic Church in Milwaukee, just what we needed!

I have tons of respect for this man, he is such a persuasive leader, the kind of man that people want to follow.

JS Online: Priests would be subject to searches
Priests in the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee can be required to consent to unannounced searches of their homes at any time of the day or night if church officials suspect or know they have been involved in sexual conduct, alcohol or drug abuse, or other behavior deemed inappropriate by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, according to a policy change announced to clergy last week.

The new policy, which was mailed to clergy members starting last week, appears to be the only one of its kind in the country. The policy covers more than 400 priests and 150 deacons.

As the archdiocese deems necessary, clerics will have to sign a form agreeing to the searches and other restrictions, according to the policy documents.

With most of the worlds leaders at the Pope’s funeral yesterday, I think we can say he is still bringing people together, even in death. This article shows some of the long time and bitter enemies that came together , even if it were just handshake, maybe a few of these pleasantries could spark something more… I sure hope so, it would be another great lasting legacy for Pope John Paul II.

Notice how the media is all over this foolishness of Carter not going with the official US delegation to Pope John Paul’s funeral. What a joke, this will go on for the next week.

UPDATE

Carter is still stirring the pot because he wasn’t taken along to Rome, heck, even the folks at the Vatican are being bothered by him. Carter actually wanted to lead the US deligation.

Carter wasn’t exactly a friend to the Vatican, he and the Pope disagreed on most of Carters Central American policies, the Pope was anti-Communist and Carter…

And don’t forget that Carter has spent the last few years putting down Bush to anyone that would listen, especially if he could do it in a foreign country unfriendly with America.

I’m not crazy about him taking Clinton either, but maybe he is living by the saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”.

The American Spectator: Jimmy Carter Who?

Annie Laurie Gaylor and her religion hating mob have of course come out to bash the Pope as he is honored by billions around the world. Now she is mad because Governor Doyle has ordered state flags dropped to half staff in commemoration of the Pope’s death.

Here is a taste of this groups thought process, go read the whole article for their views on a wild range of topics that they disagreed with Catholic teaching.

Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.
If one adds up the good versus the evil committed by the pope, there is no question he has done far more harm than good. The pope, given his visibility, had the power to transform the world for the better. But he chose instead to reiterate cruel medieval cant. With a few words, he could have moved the world forward, revoking the senseless Church doctrine against the use of contraception, abortion and sterilization that causes such acute misery, overpopulation and degradation of humanity.

Had he lifted even just the ban on the use of condoms to prevent transmission of AIDS, think of the tragedies that could have been spared! He didn’t just want to ram church doctrine down the throats of reluctant members of his own congregation, but upon the rest of us. Sure, he finally admitted Galileo should not have been condemned by the Church- some 350 years too late. The pope is being given great credit for international diplomacy, while it is being forgotten he put the kibosh on “liberation theology.” True, he opposed capital punishment as most freethinkers do. But think of the capital punishment, the slaughters, the witch-burnings, purges, tortures and inquisitions committed by the Roman Catholic Church and its followers throughout history.