Watching the vigil in Hyde Park.

[elisi]

Despite all the problems, I truly, deeply, love my church.

Comments

[gamiila.livejournal.com]

I'd be very tempted to get an icon that says 'I ♥ my German Shepard'

I wouldn't go so far as all that ;-). But I'm thinking perhaps it's time to forgive him for his criticism of liberation theology, which I personally was very supportive of, in the 80s.

[elisi]

I wouldn't go so far as all that ;-)
Well I won't either, but I've certainly developed a liking of him, personally, even though I may disagree with some of this ways of thinking. :)

And now I'll have to go look up liberation theology...

[gamiila.livejournal.com]

Do! Although in a nutshell, I can tell you that liberation theology was/is a movement originating in South America, where priests urged a return to the words of Christ and the values of the early Church in response to the social injustice and oppression of the poor endemic in the region. They called for democracy, education and the re-distribution of wealth through land reform, to which the establishment reacted rather predictably with cries of "Marxism!" and violence. I first became aware of it after the assassination of Archbishop Romero of El Salvador, who although classed as a conservative himself, had spoken out on behalf of many of the persecuted priests and poor and had tried to persuade the US and the Vatican to withdraw their aid/approval from the murderous regimes. Needless to say his efforts were in vain. Cardinal Ratzinger, as prefect of the CDF, condemned liberation theology as a Marxist ideology in the mid-80s and silenced several of its main proponents, e.g. Leonardo Boff (causing him to leave the priesthood eventually), or threatening to put their work on the Index (e.g. Edward Schillebeeckx). And since these people's writings have had a profound effect on my own thinking on where the Church's mission should primarily lie, I've had an axe to grind with Benedict -as he is now- for over 20 years. But maybe now it's time to let bygones be bygones. These last 4 days have shown me a Pope who is hardworking and genuinely sincere, and not a bit like the Machiavellian bully I had imagined.