Same old same old

Today the Catholic Cardinals elected a new pope, Pope Benedict XVI. What does this mean for me, an agnostic former Methodist? Plenty.

From what the news reports are telling me, Benedict was a close confidant of John Paul. They shared the same views on women’s roles in the church, which was the belief that church law dictates women are not allowed to prevail over a congregation. What message does this send to young girls and women around the world? There are 1 billion Catholics in the world – are females always going to be seen as second-class citizens not worthy to preach the word of their church?

They also share the same views on the use of contraception – that its use is prohibited. Why in the 21st century are there still people bemoaning the use of life-saving birth control? It boggles my mind, really. And let’s not overlook the church’s anti-abortion stance. Are they still denying communion to those politicians who vote pro-choice? Oh but it’s okay for a priest to sexually molest young boys – they just move them to a new parish when the heat is on. Ridiculous.

I was fascinated by the entire process of choosing a new pope. I was also hoping that the church after all of its scandals under John Paul would choose to go in a new direction. How silly of me.