Why BENEDICT XVI ?

Posted: 2nd May 2005

Pope Benedict XVI

Phnom Penh (C.S.C): The Cardinals of the Catholic Church elected the new Pope two weeks after the death and funerals of Pope John Paul II. Millions of peoples from all nations were anxious to know who the new pope would be. Why the whole world, even non-Christian countries like Cambodia, was interested to know who the new pope was? Why the pope of the Catholic Church keeps the attention of millions of people all over the world? A general answer is because the Catholic Church played an important role in the conformation of European countries and of many other countries in the West. The Catholic Church as a religious institution with more than 2,000 years of experience leading the Christian faith, has helped a lot in the creation of the international law -based on the Christian principles of respect, freedom, solidarity, care for the poor, love and progress. The pope as the leader of the Catholic Church is therefore an important personality who is recognized by the United Nations as a head of the smallest of the States called The Vatican.

The one chosen as the new pope was Cardenal Joseph Ratzinger. He has been a good theologian who has helped a lot to guard the Christian faith and to avoid it to be contaminated with ideas that are contrary to the Christian faith. The Catholic Church in Cambodia received this election with joy and hope. The day of the election of the new pope Benedict XVI all the priests serving in Cambodia started our spiritual retreat in Sihanoukville. Msgr. Emile Destombes opened the retreats with a prayer for the new pope and requesting all the priests and faithful to be united with him so that the Holy Spirit helps him to lead the Church in these difficult moments of history. "I invite you to be deeply united with the universal Church these days in an attitude of thanksgiving. Pray the Holy Spirit specially helps the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, in his ministry of leading the Church, so he can face the challenges the Church now faces."

Some of the priests making the spiritual exercises told C.S.C. reporters their opinions about the new pope:

Father Bruno Cosme, the rector of the seminary said: “Many Cambodians see Christianity as a religion from Vietnam because many local Catholics are ethnic Vietnamese. The news about the death of Pope John Paul II and his successor's election became an unexpected chance for Cambodians, many for the first time, to hear about the Catholic Church and Christianity in an international context, not just tied to Vietnamese culture. "Many Cambodians now understand that the Church is universal. The rector added that the new pope's election also is "significant for Cambodia, given the great emphasis that Pope Benedict promised to give inter-religious dialogue," as he clearly stated in his first homily as pope”.

Father Olivier Schmitthaeusler, an MEP confrere working in the apostolic vicariate of Phnom Penh and a local pioneer in education, told C.S.C. reporters that the death of Pope John Paul l II and Pope Benedict's election offer young Catholic communities all over the country a chance to awaken. "These two events will bear good fruit in our Church in Cambodia if we know how to utilize this occasion for internal renewal", he asserted.

Jesuit Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, the apostolic prefect of Battambang, offered his own comment to C.S.C. News. He said, "Our spiritual retreat just after the election of the new pope has given all of us priests serving the Church in Cambodia a new force, a renewal of our missionary commitment."

Father Gerald Vogin, an MEP missioner, summed up the week-long gathering in this way, "It has helped us remember that the one who really acts is the Holy Spirit and we are 'simple workers in God's vineyard,'" paraphrasing the new pope's description of himself just after he was elected. …”.

Msgr. Antonysami, Apostolic Prefect of Kompong Cham asked by C.S.C. about the new pope and his influence in the Church in Cambodia, said “The cardinals had a choice either for a change or for continuity. They opted for continuity. The new pope was the best brain behind the towering person of pope John Paul II and he will continue his legacy as a person who stands for human values and who stands for the care of the poor”. Msgr. Susairaj leads this Prefecture in Cambodia since 1998 as Apostolic Administrator and then as the Apostolic Prefect since the year 2000. There are 9 priests ministering in this Prefecture, 8 foreign missionaries and one local priest.

Father Juan Solorzano, a missionary from Yarumal missionary Society of Colombia serving in Kompong Cham Prefecture showed his satisfaction for the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as the new pope. “I think the Church in Cambodia can apply to herself the introductory statement of Benedict XVI ‘I am a humble worker in the Lord’s vineyard’. All of us are humble workers giving testimony of our faith in this country where the majority of people are Buddhists”.

The election of Cardenal Ratzinger as our new pope is a gift of the Holy Spirit very especially for the Asian continent, because with his wisdom Pope Benedict XVI can help peoples of all religions to be united in the common cause of building peace and justice in our world of today. Let us pray for each other so that we open our hearts and minds to work with our new Pope in the increasing of inter-religious dialogues for the unity of the faithful of all religions for the goodness of humankind in our days.

Article Source: Catholic Social Communication-C.S.C