Tim for Pope
March 4, 2013, 9:03 am
Posted by Robert P. Imbelli
Well, E.J. Dionne doesn’t actually come right out and say it; but he seems to be leaning in that direction:
I am inclined, with Radcliffe, to believe we should celebrate rather than mourn our intellectual tensions — between Communion and Kingdom, between liberty on the one side and community and equality on the other. But living with those tensions requires far more trust than we now seem capable of managing. What I do know is that throwing one side out of the house is not a solution to homelessness.
Judge for yourself here.
Oh, THAT Timothy. Hey, I could go for that.
I thought the headline meant the other one, and I was seaming up to denounce it as more American exceptionalism and to remind everyone that I took $5 off my first sergeant by betting the conclave after Pius XII’s death would not choose Cardinal Spellman.
I’ve been in favor of Tim, OP, as pope ever since first reading What is the Point of Being a Christian? Dionne sees Radcliffe’s point as applicable to the US as well. And so it is, and not only the US. Think of the Italian clowns, think of Israel v. Palestine, and other examples as well.
Nicholas,
To which Pagliacci are you referring?
two types of catholics, wont’ do! remember “here comes everybody”? tim fell short.
I’ve been for Fr. Radcliffe since JP II died, though he probably was too young then, and time has added to my admiration. Deeply spiritual, fine communicator, head of the OPs so he has a global view, good administrator, learned, willing to say what he really believes. In a way it’s a pity he spoke his mind on occasion — I’ve read that cost him a bishop’s mitre.
The dilemma to the tension is that it isn’t dialogical in nature—each side seems desirous of erasing the other. To benefit from tension, we need to respect those who disagree with us—not a whole lot of that in sight.
Yet another one of those dichotomies into which we all have to fit ourselves somehow…
If not Diarmuid Martin or Mary McAleese then, yes, The Other Tim is a find choice. I’m sure that the Bratwurst and Beer lobby is working furiously for Their Favorite Tim’s chance, however.
“to believe we should celebrate rather than mourn our intellectual tensions”
I once heard that very sentence pronounced by the Episcopalian presiding bishop (Jefferts Schori, I believe). In her case (I don’t know about E.J. Dionne) it had a strong “relativistic” flavor. She said it in the context of the struggle to ordain sexually active homosexual bishops in her denomination, and more or less it meant “we will ditch all traditional teaching, but we will let be part of the Church if you believe that antiquated stuff, as long as you do not impose it on the rest of us.” Quite hypocritical, in my personal opinion.
The Other Tim is a fine choice.
I have been thinking that the qualities that people are looking for are an impossible combination. Instead, it might be more useful to know the worst faults of the papal contenders, so that one can identify the ones who are definitely bad choices.
For example, today’s French newspaper “La Vie” has an article on how Cardinal Ouellet is very unpopular with the people in his archdiocese in Canada. The article claims that it’s all the fault of the locals, but to me that’s an ominous sign that this cardinal does not know how to take people where they are and work with the hand he’s been dealt. If, even in the relatively homogeneous context of a single region, he is not good at exercising leadership and at being well respected among Catholics there, then how can one entertain any hope that he will be successful globally? May God preserve us from him as our pope!
http://www.lavie.fr/religion/lamatinale/marc-ouellet-le-mal-aime-des-medias-quebecois-05-03-2013-37287_400.php
I hope Cardinal Dolan is elected.
Who would be better, and why?
Timothy Radcliffe might be a likeable pope, something like Rowan Williams. The other Tim is too conservative, aggressive, and divisive.
Only the 2nd English Pope I think.
We Irish all know who the first one was.
arrivederci a tutti!