Pope Benedict XVI is the wrong man for the job in what has become a complex society, according to a Danish theologian who is part of a commission seeking to modernize the papacy.
Pope Benedict XVI walks up the stairs as he leaves Angola on Monday, March 23.
Ignoring Reality
Nørgaard-Højen, who has studied the Vatican and papacy for many years, has recently returned from meetings in an unusual Vatican commission composed of eight Catholics and eight Protestants. The commission is seeking to find ways to modernize the Vatican in an increasingly complex world.
"He ignores reality as it is. From a limited, theological point of view he is correct that the use of condoms goes contrary to the Catholic requirement of protecting life where it is found. But when he puts forward this sort of message on a continent where sexual practices mean that thousands of people die, it is clear to me that Pope Benedict has completely forgotten what kind of world it is that he exists in," says Nørgaard-Højen.
"I know the pope. He has visited us and he knows what we are working with," says Nørgaard-Højen, who sees a major risk that Pope Benedict will lead the Vatican astray.
African Mistake
"The mistake he made during the Africa visit shows that the pope scorns reality. He must learn that the world has become extremely complex. If he doesn't reach this understanding, things can go terribly wrong," he adds.
Asked whether the pope does not have advisers who can avoid this sort of mistake, Nørgaard-Højen says that he has a tendency not to listen.
"His sharp intellect probably means that he is not particularly willing to listen to his advisers. His capacity also means that it is rather difficult for his advisers to contradict him," Nørgaard-Højen says.
The Danish theologian goes on to question the veracity of the Vatican newspaper.
Something to Think about
"We probably have to admit that the Vatican newspaper (Ed: l'Osservatore Romano) is just about as truthful as Pravda was during Soviet communism. The pope and his advisers are surrounded by a modern Italian reality, and the other Italian newspapers will react when he says something extreme," says Nørgaard-Højen, adding that the pope should learn from modern Italians.
"He could start by looking at how millions of young Italians and other southern Europeans have turned their backs on the Vatican. A result of this is a heavily reduced birth rate, which is catastrophically low for Italy. Young people couldn't care less about the pope's messages and live their own lives. That should give him something to think about," Nørgaard-Højen concludes.
Edited by Julian Isherwood
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