Keep hope in the pope alive

If you haven't figured it out by the extensive news coverage, the Catholic Church has a new pope: Pope Benedict XVI. Many will ask, "What can we expect out of this new pope, and should we expect much change?" My colleagues here on the Opinion page have written about what they want out of the next leader of the Vatican, but interestingly enough, I am going to give you my opinion as a practicing Catholic.\nSo, Benedict XVI, the former Cardinal Ratzinger from Germany, is supposedly a conservative pope. But is he really? Yes, I understand that he has written some fairly conservative things when he was the prelate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This congregation, by its very nature, is supposed to be conservative. \nFor those who don't know, the congregation used to be aptly called the Inquisition. This congregation is there to keep theologians, bishops and regular people in line with Church teaching. He was a very conservative prelate who held the line on things like abortion, birth control, homosexuals, women's ordination, celibacy and stem cell research. However, he was a liberal when it came to being anti-war, wanting economic progress in Africa and continuing to give attention to the poor. All-in-all, I feel that he was conservative because he had to be. He was the leader of a congregation whose sole purpose was to hold the line on Church doctrine. He wasn't going to change what the Church taught within the congregation because that wasn't his job; therefore, to say that Benedict is going to be conservative because of the things that he wrote while prelate is ludicrous.\nHowever, I take issue with people saying that he's going to be a conservative because of his "opinions" when he was prelate. Things can change when a person becomes pope. Pope John XXIII was thought to be a conservative when he was installed as pope, but he called the Second Vatican Council. Paul VI was thought to be a liberal during the council but turned out to be more conservative than was thought. So to preemptively say Benedict XVI will be conservative might be jumping to conclusions. He may prove the contrary. \nAnother factor is that during the Second Vatican Council he "was on the progressive side of theological debates," according to an article on CNN.com. The progressives during the council were interested in a change to the vernacular in the liturgy, having more collegiality between popes and bishops and a greater role for women in the Church. As a consultant for a progressive bishop, he would have provided theological reasons for why the Church should move in these directions. Since he was a progressive when he had the freedom to be so, it might turn out that way again during his papacy, especially since he states he's going to continue the work of the council.\nThe point is that we can't predict what he's going to be like until we actually see him in action. He might be a progressive or he might be a conservative. One thing that I think he's going to be is a shepherd of men. According to CNN.com, he was the "first diocesan priest after 80 years to take over the pastoral ministry of the large Bavarian diocese," so we can take solace in the fact that he knows how to be among the people. He isn't just another bureaucrat who doesn't know his flock.\nWe need to understand that after listening to everyone, even progressives, he's still going to make a decision that some people might not agree with because it's impossible to please everyone in the Church. And we need to remember his job is to help send us to heaven.