Washington Post Calls Pope Benedict 'Closet Liberal'

Maybe in creating space for Anglicans, the pope is venturing into the area of small-c catholic Church, where it is one Church embracing all, with many rooms in one mansion. Perhaps the only sure way toward reform is to venture "unsurely" into areas, such as confronting Isalm, welcoming outsiders in, dialoguing with the black sheep, etc.

Then, again, maybe he doesn't know what he's doing. I think it was in John of the Cross, "To go the way you do not know, you must go the way you do not know."

If he is a "closet liberal" he is such even to himself. This use of "change" is hypocritical and/or another, seeming, "scotosis" of the man and his entourage. A scotosis is a significant mind block that obscures an insight that would ordinarily be inescapable to a reasonable intelligent person. I suspect that this is an occupational hazard to ideological theologians. Benedict is extremely intelligent and suffers from his life-time vocation as a theologian, so... (As an aside, there is a book idea for the right person: explore Ratzinger/Benedict writings for its content of scotoses. There are sufficient examples even in the little I have read).

This move is firmly "anti-change" - to assist in "restoring the traditional identity of the church" and bolstering his "absolutist" stance against the "evils" of change - relativism, proportionalism, liberalism, modernism. Adding traditionalist reinforcements to shore up the fight against women and married clergy and restore "dignified" liturgy is likely perceived by him as anything but change. He seems to hate change. But I would hate to be the person delegated to tell him that he is using it, that tool of the devil: pssst -"c-h-a-n-g-e".

Ignorant, and hateful. There will be no compromise on any dogmatic teachings, and I find it hard to believe there is any true confusion about that.

Gibson, like any good liberal, is trying to put his twist on the Pope's words and actions.

Of course there are many historical and theological reasons for the Catholic-Anglican divide that go beyond the question of who may be ordained, and the significance of issues such as sacraments, local authority, etc. have to be worked out.

The reason, however, why some Anglicans are considering entry into the Church is because they see the Anglican Communion as distancing itself from Christian tradition in the areas of homosexuality and women's ordination. In view of all this, they are prayerfully rethinking their position on the Catholic Church.

There are dissident Catholics who are closer to the more permissive view of the majority of Anglicans on these hot-button issues, so this accommodation is getting some "push back" from those quarters. Sadly, at times this is even leading to attacking the motives of Anglicans who would consider becoming Catholic (e.g., labelling them en masse as homophobic mysogenists and the like--how welcoming is that?).

Those Catholics who are not laboring under the burden of those agendas wholeheartedly welcome this ecumenical gesture from the Vatican and are ready with open arms those who seek entry into the Church.

It is not only the theological differences that traditional Anglicans have with Benedict that have kept them from converting or embracing the Church of Rome, it is the repudiation of the work of the Second Vatican Council that has kept cradle Catholics away and continues to drive the progressive thinkers to challenge Benedict and his minions to return to the spirit and purpose of the Council. Benedict has inflicted irreparable damage on The Church of Rome and the healing and opening up of the Church will begin when a new Bishop of Rome begins the process of the work begun by Blessed John XXIII. The passing of the old and the introduction of the new thinking is a work in progress. I believe this is truly the work of the Holy Spirit.

It just shows how ignorant these secular news types are wrt the Catholic faith. If the Anglicans become Catholic they will have to accept the whole Deposit of the Faith and that certainly includes the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist!

The conservative Anglicans are looking for a new home because the liberal Anglicans have pushed the envelope too far wrt bishops mainly. First females were ordained as bishops and then a non-celibate homosexual male was ordained a bishop. The Anglicans have lived with priestesses for about 20 years. This caused some problems and defections at first but then the issue settled.

God Bless the work of Pope Benedict XVI

Chris, to the contrary, the more traditional Anglicans are "angling" toward Rome, not further away. And as for the "progressive" disenchantment with the Holy Father, Vatican II is not whatever you perceive its "spirit" to be. Any so-called "spirit" must be rooted in the objective content of Vatican II, not your personal feelings as to how the Church should be. With all due respect, I think you should be very careful about accusing the Pope of repudiating a legitimate ecumenical council of the Church. Where is your evidence? The fact is, there isn't any.

Dennis M., perhaps you should remove the scotosis from your own eyes before attempting to psychoanalyze the Pope. Change is neither good or bad in itself. Certainly the Holy Father is against changes that are harmful to the faith, but he also is in favor of changes that further the Church's mission.