alternatehistory.com

Popes John XXV and Benedict XVI stepped down today, in a joint ceremony in Rome. I can't help but think that the media is being too effusive about the imagery of the ceremony -- the hard part comes next.

Who will be the new Pope, and can he cement the work of his predecessors?

Speaking as someone who grew in the First Vatican Church's camp, I'm more than a little ambivalent about accepting some of the reformist doctrines being grandfathered into the reunified church, but I'm mostly worried about future gridlock. How well will both wings be able to handle the challenges of the 21st Century, like rising secularism in the West and HTLV-III in Africa, if they're worried about stepping on each other's theological toes?
Top