not shopping around

One does not go into the Chevrolet dealership, walk out onto the lot to test-drive a Silverado and have the salesman ask enthusiastically if you’ve driven the new Ford F-150 yet. Or roll into the drive-thru at Burger King to hear the voice say the fries are better at McDonalds, so I’m not doing that. My this early morning’s reading matter has been material about Joseph Ratzinger, who was Pope Benedict XVI and now is that Emeritus, retired into some measure of comfortable oblivion. Colleague and contemporary with Hans Kung, Edward Schillebeeckx, Karl Rahner and other prominent catholic theologians, he had an impressive academic career if little experience as pastor. Brilliant, he was an admirable scholar and academician, though he would not have brought me into the Roman Catholic Church. But I do think it’s as important for bishops to be accomplished intellectuals as to be popular pastors. 

On the other hand, Francis, the current pope, is one who could bring Christendom together, though that will never happen despite our ongoing prayers for the unity of the Church. Such prayers are good and sincere, but all such prayers visualize everyone else coming to their senses and coming my way. Everyone who prays for church unity could make it happen by returning to Rome, and while Francis makes that conceivable, it will never happen, because whether it’s religion, theology or politics, we all of us think our position is the only correct one. 

Though I cut it off after about two minutes, my other “reading” this morning was a Youtube video of two lions fighting to the death. Something similar about people and other animals.

Time to go walk.

DT+