Mario Cuomo infallibly declares "Infallibility has its limits"

Mario Cuomo has apparently been saddened by the election of Pope Benedict XVI (as are many Democrat politicians who have lost Catholic voters as a result of then Cardinal Ratzinger's rebuke of pro-choice politicians who claim to be Catholic). Cuomo was so hurt, that he has chose to become an airmchair theologian in this article in the opinion section of the 28 April 2005 New York Daily News.

Cuomo starts out by saying he "prayed that a new Pope would help heal the church's serious wounds and reconnect it more surely to modern realities. Instead, the cardinals have chosen a good and holy man who, we are told, rather than reform the status quo will reaffirm it more insistently than before." In other words, he thinks Pope John Paul II (i.e. "John Paul the Great") inflicted serious wounds to the church and disconnected it from reality, and that Pope Benedict will continue to do the same. Feel the love?

Then he goes on to discuss (or redefine) what is infallible and what isn't to justify his next point, which is that one of the current "challenges" of the church is "to reassess the alterable rules made for us by the male descendants of Peter who were and are humanly frail, as he was, and to readjust those rules to better serve the purpose of helping modern Catholics to live fuller and holier lives in this ever-changing world. This would include, among other things, reconsidering celibacy, women's role in the church and other contentious man-made church policies." This is the usual mantra of those who move tabernacles out of churches, remove kneelers, and then search for other reasons to explain the resultant decline in church attendence and lack of vocations.

Cuomo then provides this hodgepodge of distortions to try to validate his assertion: "The church can do this without abandoning its fundamental commitment to the Gospel of Jesus, and has in fact done it in the past in changing its position on slavery, usury, salvation outside the church and divorce. The church is extremely hesitant about using or even defining the idea that it is 'infallible' in its teaching. None of the currently contentious issues has been so designated. In fact, the church asserts its infallibility only under strictly defined limits, and it has happened very few times in church history. The only formal exercise of papal infallibility in modern times was by Pope Pius XII and dealt with Mary, the mother of Christ." IF this was true (and it certainly isn't), you could change almost anything - we could all become relativists, and dispense with the Catechism altogether. Cuomo seems to disregard this assertation of infallibility: "Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful." -- Pope John Paul II, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, May 22, 1994.

Cuomo then whines "Despite this history, our new Pope's record and the opinion among Vatican watchers offer little hope for meaningful changes or even for a clear admission that its man-made rules are indeed alterable by the church that made and enforces them." All the Church's "rules" are man-made. The rules Mario wants changed, though, were made by a man named Jesus Christ - and those are not alterable by the Church.

But wait...the punch line is at the end of Cuomo's article "But then, ours is a church that continues to entertain the possibility of miracles, big and small and is capable of startling and invigorating changes of course like the ascendance of John XXIII, who gave us the Second Vatican Council that brought Catholicism a bright new enlightenment in the 1960s. Hope springs eternal." First off, clearly, Cuomo never read the Vatican II documents. But his big "hope" is that Pope Benedict will do an about face and revolutionize (destroy) what is essential to Catholicism.

Don't hold your breath, Mario.

Reuters article calls people like us "Internet Doomsdayers"

This story carried by Reuters relegates websites like this off as "Internet doomsdayers". In other words, the product of "wackos". The prophecy of St. Malachy has been around for about 9 centuries. I don't recall the press relegating it to "doomsdayers" when it was discussed around the time Pope John Paul I or II was elected, and I doubt the term "doomsdayers" was ever ascribed to those who referred to the prophecy prior to that.

The author of the story, Phil Stewart, says the prophecy is "widely dismissed by scholars as a hoax". Oh, really? I guess Phil's criteria for "scholar" is limited to anti-Catholic propagandists, atheists, and the like. Most Catholic scholars I know would disagree strongly with this conclusion.

Phil goes on to say "critics widely dismiss the Malachy prophecy as a forgery and possible propaganda meant to influence a 16th century conclave" Well, if that were the case, St. Malachy would not have been canonized! Take heart, though, because Phil notes "doses of skepticism even appear on the most energetic Malachy web pages." In other words, not all of us are COMPLETELY wacked out. Nice.

Phil's story quoted some of these "doomsdayers" as follows: "'Perhaps Benedict XVI will be a peacemaker in the Church or in the world, and thus carry the olive branch,' speculated www.catholic-pages.com. Another site, www.bibleprobe.com, went even further, showing a picture of Benedict holding olive branches in March during Palm Sunday celebrations. 'Is this the Pope of Peace (olive)?' it asked in the caption." I will have to check out catholic-pages.com, as it sounds like they are my kind of "doomsdayer". I wonder what Phil would report if he was living in the time of John the Baptist?

But enough of Phil for the moment. Here's my take: Has Pope Benedict already fulfilled the prophecy? I don't think so. He isn't a Benedictine, though he appears to be close to them. His birthplace has nothing to do with olives. And he has no special ties to the Jews or Jerusalem (which in the 12th century was associated with the olives grown in that region, and had led some to speculate prior to the election that this pope would be a cardinal who was a convert from Judaism). This Reuters story states the following: "Benedict said that he chose the name partly in honor of Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922), calling him a 'courageous prophet of peace.' On Wednesday, Benedict dedicated his papacy to 'the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples.'" If Pope Benedict is successful in either reconciliation (perhaps ending the split between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches) or bringing about harmony between peoples (perhaps being instrumental in finally ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), then I don't know how "Glory of the Olive" would NOT apply to him. But only time will tell.

Prophecies are not meant to be used to forecast events far out into the future. Who would have guessed that Pope John Paul II's funeral would be on the day of a rare solar eclipse? According to this NASA website, the type of eclipse that happened that day will not occur again until April 20, 2023. We have the book of Revelations, but Jesus said no one knows the day or the hour "except the father". What is the lesson here? Prophecies only give hints and shadows of things to come, but that is all. They are meant to be used as reminders that we aren't going to be around forever and that the end of the world will come some day. But most importantly (what many people don't think about), prophecies are meant to remind you (as an individual) that your end may be closer than you think. Scripture (in many places) directs us to focus on the present. The past can't be changed and should be left to God's mercy. We should not worry or be afraid of the future. The only thing we should be aware of is that the future is coming, that the future is uncertain, and that if we don't make the best of the here and now, the future will not be so pleasant. We need to grow in the Lord so that when the bridegroom comes, our lanterns will be filled with oil.

We don't need to know at this point exactly how Pope Benedict will fulfill St. Malachy's prophecy (assuming he does), but we will keep watching. As such, I will not be developing a theory, though I may speculate at times. And constructive comments are always welcome at this website. Please send all unconstructive comments to recyclebin@anywhere.com.

Pope publically states why he chose the name "Benedict" in his first audience

Quote from the AP story Pope Greets First Audience in Somber Tones: "The pope touched on the issues he intends to tackle as he described how he chose his name, recalling Pope Benedict XV, who led the church during World War I.
'In his footsteps I place my ministry in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples,' he said."

This means we really don't yet know how this Pope will fulfill the prophecy.

Wikipedia entry on choice of the name Benedict XVI

An entry in Wikipedia has been created stating: "The choice of the name Benedict (Latin 'the blessed') is significant. The new pope's birthday is on 16 April and that day is the feast of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre (26 March 1748 � 16 April 1783), also known as the Holy Pilgrim. In addition, the previous Pope Benedict XV (1914 to 1922) was seen as a conciliator who calmed the disputes between modernist and anti-modernist factions with the Church, and the adoption of the name Benedict has been seen as a sign that Benedict XVI has similar goals. Additionally, Der Spiegel reports on an interview with Joachim Cardinal Meisner, usually regarded as close to Benedict XVI, stating that he chose Benedict because of Benedict XV who 'did much for peace in the world'.[24] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI#endnote_spiegel) Benedict XVI has not yet made specific public comments on why he chose the name, or if he had considered the issue of choosing a name prior to entering the conclave.
Theology professor Susan Roll of the University of Ottawa speculates in the Globe and Mail, however, that the new Pope's name may be taken from St. Benedict, who founded the Benedictine Order and is credited by Catholics for preserving Christian civilization during the Great Migration in the Early Middle Ages. St. Benedict is also one of the patron saints of Europe. Benedict XVI has always been concerned that Europe should do its utmost not to lose its Christian heritage. Some have speculated that the choice of the name of Europe's patron signals an intention to reclaim Europe for Christ.
However, John Allen, the pope's biographer, told CNN on April 20, 2005, that the choice of name also appears to be a purposeful allusion to the fact that the previous holder of the name Benedict was shortlived in office. Benedict's brother has stated that he hoped that his aged sibling would not be elected to the papacy due to the pressures of the office and the fact that in 1991, Cardinal Ratzinger suffered a brain hemorrhage. "At age 78 it's not good to take on such a job which challenges the entire person and the physical and mental existence," Georg Ratzinger, then 81 years of age, said in an article published in the Guardian on April 20, 2005. "At an age when you approach 80 it's no longer guaranteed that one is able to work and get up the next day." Given this history, John Allen noted that the pope likely has "a very keen sense that this may not be a very long pontificate and there's an awful lot to do."

Allen's observation is further corroborated by Benedict's comments to cardinals just after his election, explaining his name. Francis Cardinal George of Chicago said that Benedict told the cardinals, "I too hope in this short reign to be a man of peace."

It may also be noted in this context that both Pope Benedict XII and Pope Benedict XIV, like Benedict XVI, were expert theologians who placed a high value on the magisterium of the Church.

Some view the pope's choice of name as a fulfillment of the Prophecy of the Popes of St. Malachy."

Why the name "Benedict"?

This article explores possible reasons why the new Pontiff chose the name Benedict XVI. The number one reason indicated was his admiration for Pope Benedict XV, though the article goes on to say Cardinal Ratzinger used to make an annual week-long retreat to a Benedictine monastary in Bavaria. I heard on TV that someone else (a Cardinal?) had said that Cardinal Ratzinger indicated Pope Benedict XV was the reason he chose the name.

Biography of Pope Benedict XVI

Official Vatican Biography of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and International Theological Commission, Dean of the College of Cardinals, was born on 16 April 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Germany. He was ordained a priest on 29 June 1951.

His father, a police officer, came from a traditional family of farmers from Lower Baviera. He spent his adolescent years in Traunstein, and was called into the auxiliary anti-aircraft service in the last months of World War II. From 1946 to 1951, the year in which he was ordained a priest and began to teach, he studied philosophy and theology at the University of Munich and at the higher school in Freising. In 1953 he obtained a doctorate in theology with a thesis entitled: "The People and House of God in St. Augustine’s doctrine of the Church". Four years later, he qualified as a university teacher. He then taught dogma and fundamental theology at the higher school of philosophy and theology of Freising, then in Bonn from 1959 to 1969, Münster from 1963 to 1966, Tubinga from 1966 to 1969. From 1969, he was a professor of dogmatic theology and of the history of dogma at the University of Regensburg and Vice President of the same university.

Already in 1962 he was well known when, at the age of 35, he became a consultor at Vatican Council II, of the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joseph Frings. Among his numerous publications, a particular post belongs to the ‘Introduction to Christianity’, a collection of university lessons on the profession of apostolic faith, published in 1968; Dogma and revelation, an anthology of essays, sermons and reflections dedicated to the pastoral ministry, published in 1973.

In March 1977, Paul VI elected him Archbishop of Munich and Freising and on 28 May 1977 he was consecrated, the first diocesan priest after 80 years to take over the pastoral ministry of this large Bavarian diocese.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Paul VI in the consistory of 27 June 1977, of the Titles of the Suburbicarian Church of Velletri-Segni (5 April 1993) and Suburbicarian Church of Ostia (30 November 2002).

On 25 November 1981 he was nominated by John Paul II Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; President of the Biblical Commission and of the Pontifical International Theological Commission.

Relator of the 5th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (1980).

President Delegate to the 6th Synodal Assembly (1983).

Elected Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals, 6 November 1998. On 30 November 2002, the Holy Father approved the election, by the order of cardinal bishops, as Dean of the College of Cardinals.

President of the Commission for the Preparation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and after 6 years of work (1986-92) he presented the New Catechism to the Holy Father.

Laurea honoris causa in jurisprudence from the Libera Università Maria Santissima Assunta, 10 November 1999.

Honorary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 13 November 2000.

Curial Membership:

Secretariat of State (second section)

Oriental Churches, Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, Bishops, Evangelization of Peoples, Catholic Education (congregations)

Christian Unity (council)

Latin America, Ecclesia Dei (commissions)

Source: Vatican New Agency

The Prophecy of St. Malachy

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, The most famous and best known prophecies about the popes are those attributed to St. Malachy. In 1139 he went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to the pope, Innocent II, who promised him two palliums for the metropolitan Sees of Armagh and Cashel. While at Rome, he received (according to the Abbé Cucherat) the strange vision of the future wherein was unfolded before his mind the long list of illustrious pontiffs who were to rule the Church until the end of time. The same author tells us that St. Malachy gave his manuscript to Innocent II to console him in the midst of his tribulations, and that the document remained unknown in the Roman Archives until its discovery in 1590 (Cucherat, "Proph. de la succession des papes", ch. xv). They were first published by Arnold de Wyon, and ever since there has been much discussion as to whether they are genuine predictions of St. Malachy or forgeries. The silence of 400 years on the part of so many learned authors who had written about the popes, and the silence of St. Bernard especially, who wrote the "Life of St. Malachy", is a strong argument against their authenticity, but it is not conclusive if we adopt Cucherat's theory that they were hidden in the Archives during those 400 years.

These short prophetical announcements, in number 112, indicate some noticeable trait of all future popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1130, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interpret and explain these symbolical prophecies have succeeded in discovering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual popes, either as to their country, their name, their coat of arms or insignia, their birth-place, their talent or learning, the title of their cardinalate, the dignities which they held etc. For example, the prophecy concerning Urban VIII is Lilium et Rosa (the lily and the rose); he was a native of Florence and on the arms of Florence figured a fleur-de-lis; he had three bees emblazoned on his escutcheon, and the bees gather honey from the lilies and roses. Again, the name accords often with some remarkable and rare circumstance in the pope's career; thus Peregrinus apostolicus (pilgrim pope), which designates Pius VI, appears to be verified by his journey when pope into Germany, by his long career as pope, and by his expatriation from Rome at the end of his pontificate. Those who have lived and followed the course of events in an intelligent manner during the pontificates of Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius X cannot fail to be impressed with the titles given to each by the prophecies of St. Malachy and their wonderful appropriateness: Crux de Cruce (Cross from a Cross) Pius IX; Lumen in caelo (Light in the Sky) Leo XIII; Ignis ardens (Burning Fire) Pius X. There is something more than coincidence in the designations given to these three popes so many hundred years before their time. We need not have recourse either to the family names, armorial bearings or cardinalatial titles, to see the fitness of their designations as given in the prophecies. The afflictions and crosses of Pius IX were more than fell to the lot of his predecessors; and the more aggravating of these crosses were brought on by the House of Savoy whose emblem was a cross. Leo XIII was a veritable luminary of the papacy. The present pope is truly a burning fire of zeal for the restoration of all things to Christ.

The last of these prophecies concerns the end of the world and is as follows: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End." It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus, who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last pope, that the prophecy does not say that no popes will intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olivæ. It merely says that he is to be the last, so that we may suppose as many popes as we please before "Peter the Roman". Cornelius a Lapide refers to this prophecy in his commentary "On the Gospel of St. John" (C. xvi) and "On the Apocalypse" (cc. xvii-xx), and he endeavours to calculate according to it the remaining years of time.

This encyclopedia was written in 1914 during the reign of St. Pius X.
The remaining Popes and corresponding titles are as follows (per http://www.catholic-pages.com/grabbag/malachy.asp):

Benedict XV (1914-1922): Religio depopulata (Religion laid waste)
This Pope reigned during the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia which store the establishment of Communism.

Pius XI (1922-1939): Fides intrepida (Intrepid faith)
This Pope stood up to Fascist and Communist forces lining up against him in the lead up to World War II.

Pius XII (1939-1958): Pastor angelicus (Angelic Shepherd)
This Pope was very mystical, and is believed to have received visions. People would kneel when they received telephone calls from him. His encyclicals add enormously to the understanding of Catholic beliefs (even if they are now overlooked because of focus on the Second Vatican Council, which occurred so soon after his reign).

John XXIII (1958-1963): Pastor et Nauta (pastor and marine)
Prior to his election he was patriarch of Venice, a marine city, home of the gondolas

Paul VI (1963-1978): Flos florum (flower of flowers)
His coat of arms displayed three lilies.

John Paul I (1978): De medietate Lunæ (of the half of the moon)
Albino Luciani, born in Canale d'Agardo, diocese of Belluno, (beautiful moon) Elected pope on August 26, his reign lasted about a month, from half a moon to the next half...

John Paul II (1978-2005): De labore Solis (of the eclipse of the sun, or from the labour of the sun)
Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920 during a solar eclipse. He also comes from behind the former Iron Curtain (the East, where the Sun rises). He might also be seen to be the fruit of the intercession of the Woman Clothed with the Sun labouring in Revelation 12 (because of his devotion to the Virgin Mary). His Funeral occurred on 8 April, 2005 when there was a rare type of solar eclipse visible in the Americas.

Benedict XVI (2005-?) Gloria olivæ (the Glory of the Olive)
The Benedictine order traditionally said this Pope would come from their order. The Benedictine order is also known as the "Olivites". Though Pope Benedict XVI is not Benedictine, he was close with the Benedictines and spent time at one of their monastaries before his election to the Papacy. However, it is not yet known for certain why he chose to be called Benedict.