Conservative Catholics in Washington State Welcome Pope Benedict XVI

(SEATTLE) April 19, 2005 — News of the results of the 2005 Conclave was met with surprise and joy for conservative Catholics in Western Washington and the Archdiocese of Seattle. The announcement that Joseph Ratzinger was selected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Benedict XVI was a reassuring sign that the Catholic Church in moving in the right direction.

Peter Miller, head of Northwest Laity for Truth believes that the time has come in the Church to address the general confusion and lack of discipline endemic in the Catholic Church: "Although Pope John Paul II was a very holy man, by his own admission he was less apt in matters of Church governance and administration. He chose to lead by example and was actually quite hesitant to exercise his authority. While every Pope needs to maintain a balance of the two styles, the former Pope's leaning too far away from discipline led to some negative consequences. For instance, in the recent sexual abuse scandal, it was disturbing to discover not only that was there knowledge in the Vatican of these problems, but after the worst of the offenders were exposed, no action was taken by the Vatican to discipline the bishops for their role in the tragedy. To help re-establish the credibility of the Church, a greater level of institutional discipline needs to be established. Of all the Cardinals with the potential to be elected Pope, Ratzinger was the best suited for this task."

"It is significant that the problems the Church is facing from declining vocations to low Mass attendance to predator priests have been in escalation during the last half century as the Catholic Church has been working to accommodate itself to modern society and culture. It is hard to imagine how further accommodation toward modern trends could be anything but a prescription for disaster. If you look at those dioceses and parishes in which traditional Catholic beliefs and practices are promoted, these problems are more the exception than the rule. Although Pope Benedict XVI is not the throwback to medieval days that some critics will portray him as, he is a step in the right direction, and a reason for great hope and optimism for the future of the Church."

Cardinal Ratzinger became well known in the Western Washington area for his role in the investigation of Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen in the 1980s. Although, the Catholic laity was supportive that the actions of the renegade archbishop had prompted action from the Vatican, it was hoped that more direct and effective disciplinary action would be taken. The same priests and individuals who assisted Hunthausen in his ongoing defiance retain their positions of influence and authority to this very day.