The media and intellectual reaction to the Pope's comments have been revealing

Submitted by Sully (United States), Sep 19, 2006 at 14:44

The general media reaction, expressed by dry secular pundits, has been based on the assumption that the Pope was careless or clumsy in his manner of speaking and his choice of example. The further media assumption that the Pope might regret his message in light of violent Mohammedan reaction was a reflection of the general sense that he shares their view that placating the beast is somehow going to tame it.

This all reminds me of the reaction to Reagan's "evil empire" speech and his generally confrontational tone with respect to the Soviet Union.

First, I find it incredible that the Papacy and the Vatican are so little understood that people believe a Papal speech could have somehow been delivered without ample if not excruciating reflection beforehand on it's likely result.

But secondly I find it amazing how poorly the multicultural crowd do when reflecting on the belief system, motivations, objectives and likely view of things of someone who probably spent much of his youth reading he lives of the martyrs, and has since spent his life navigating the clerical heirarchy even unto getting into position to be elected to the Papacy.

Projecting recent trends it is not impossible that Benedict or his next successor will be the first Pope since the 1400's to see a Cathedral converted into a mosque. Also, Benedict has latitude for action re the resurgence of Islam and the simultaneous weakening of the West by secularism which was denied his predecessors since 1917 having Communism and Facism to contend with as they did. And, finally, he served and has succeeded a Pope who served a heroic term even unto taking a bullet in probable consequence of opposing communism.

Such a man in such a position is highly unlikely to have just happened to choose and recite a quote a Byzantine Emperor who reigned shortly before the fall of Christian Constantinople before the Mohammedans. And he is especially unlikely to have done so during a time of Mohammedan calls for the reestablishment of the Caliphate without having a pretty carefully considered idea of what would likely result.

Our dry secular culture finds it unimaginable to think that a Pope of the Catholic Church may be fully dedicated to his mission, faith and beliefs. His idea of his duty may include the belief that the only way to confront Islam is to confront it, regardless of the cost.

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