Foreign Policy: Job Description for the Next Pope

Foreign Policy: Job Description for the Next Pope: "I refer, first, to a new and aggressive secularization, borne into the heart of modern societies by the dynamics of globalization. In traditional as well as developed societies, increasing materialism opens the way to a form of secularism that is indifferent or hostile to religious faith. A second critical development bearing directly upon Catholicism's future is the fierce internal contest for the soul of Islam, the great world religion that is both the Church's main rival for adherents and its potential ally against a purely materialistic concept of human development. And finally, the advent of genetic engineering and related forms of biotechnology underscores the need to upgrade dramatically Catholic education and expertise in the sciences and in bioethics.
The pontiff who succeeds His Holiness John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) must address these three challenges boldly. In some cases, the new pope will draw on the example of John Paul II, but he must also define new horizons of understanding for the Church. Unless the next pope perceives the links between these challenges and their roots in the context of a historic debate over the relevance of religion to humanity, Catholicism will be unable to provide a viable alternative to the extremes of intolerant religious militancy and the self-absorbed materialism of a global consumer society. "


Halfway through and I'm loving it. Appleby hits on many key and relevant points, from the viewpoint of a forward-thinking Catholic academic. The big sticking point with me is the materialism he talks about and the idea of secular humanism. It's a relentless force in today's global consumer world, as he points out, and yet it strips us of our humanity. We become a world of buyers and sellers, "satisfied" by goods rather than love and faith. This is what the Church is working against--not other faiths--but apathy. Faith is one of the few forces in this world that puts humanity in proper perspective. I know a few of my sidebar link authors like to uphold the supremacy of the individual, by I for one hold that we're weak and imperfect and need reminded of this as often as possible. Religion isn't perfect either--God is, but not neccessarilly his Church. But what religion and faith can do for us, is promote values that too often get neglected in today's world, those ideas of service and humility, forgiveness and love. The Church, at it's truest, is at the frontlines as a soldier in the fight for human rights, the poor, and the dignity of life--elements of our existence that we often misplace and forget, instead choosing to concentrate on ourselves. What I really liked about his article was Appleby's insistence on upgrading the scientific dialogue and capacities of the Church. I have found modern Catholicism to not be in conflict with many modern discoveries as much as opponents would have one believe. Evolution is accepted, and in sanctity/dignity of life issues, science backs up the Church more often than not (in matters like proving the independence of the embryo etc).

I'll admit this is a very rough post with many a flaw--I've written it in only a few minutes time without a chance to truly collect my thoughts on such weighty matters. Read the article though--it's a good one.