There’s probably an unwritten rule that atheists should not write about religion, but I will anyway. I know already who the new pope will be. He will be old, male, and somewhat out of touch with the world, but not in a good way.
In a recent book entitled “Why Priests,” the devout Catholic Garry Wills questions the whole idea of the priesthood. He believes that the eucharistic meal was, for early Christians, a real meal, and he credits Thomas Aquinas with emphasizing the magical power of turning wine into blood.
Wills, who studied for a number of years in a Jesuit seminary, says he has nothing against the priesthood, but wants to reassure Catholics that they can have a more direct relationship with God. To me he sounds a lot like Martin Luther, and I am not sure how his book has been received by the Catholic hierarchy. (But I have a pretty good idea.)
My hope is that the new pope, whomever he is, will move the Catholic church away from the insiders in the Vatican and toward a more open and tolerant church.
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