The next pope? Peter Turkson
Is the pope Catholic? That question may be less rhetorical than a matter of conviction for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics if Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson is elected the next pope.
Turkson, who is 64 years old, is the odds-on favorite to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, the African prelate said his biggest challenge as pope would be to maintain orthodox Catholic doctrine while “at the same time knowing how to apply it so that you do not become irrelevant in a world that has continuous changes.”
He amplified on this view by noting that the Church must “evangelise” those who had embraced “alternative lifestyles, trends or gender issues.”
We need to find ways of dealing with the challenges coming up from society and culture…. We cannot fail in our task of providing guidance.
Homosexuality is far from the only hot-button issue Turkson has weighed in on. He caused a stir some years ago by screening a video claiming that Europe was in danger of being overrun by Muslims and insists that condoms are not the solution to preventing HIV.
Another challenge he assigns to the papacy is the responsibility for cleaning house, noting that the Vatican needs to “restore and repair” an image that has been “badly compromised by recent scandals.”
When asked about his chances of becoming the first African pope, he said:
It is a possibility. Already at the last conclave there was a move to have a candidate from the southern half of the globe.
Before I got here there was a young African cardinal called Arinze from Nigeria. And at every conclave everybody was talking about him as an emerging candidate. Arinze is now 80 and actually there is no way he can participate in the conclave. So after Arinze another African shows up in the Vatican, now there are actually two of us, there is a cardinal from Guinea. So again there is speculation.
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First, anyone who thinks they are worthy of the position automatically reveals themselves to be unfit for the position.
Secondly, any Cardinal who worries about the church becoming “irrelevant in a world that has continuous changes” is someone who is implying that moral principles are mutable and subjectively determined by the times in which we live. That implication is confirmed when Cardinal Turkson states that, “the Church must “evangelise” those who had embraced “alternative lifestyles, trends or gender issues.””
That position on morality is a secular one. Cardinal is implying that to survive, the Church must fundamentally change ts moral positions and if there are no theological justifications for those changes well, God is forgiving.
So contraception, abortion, the morning after pill, transgender ‘reassignment’, homosexuality, couples co-habiting outside the sacrament of marriage, gay couples having children, single women intentionally having children with no father around… all of these ‘alternative’ lifestyles are now acceptable? If not, how shall they be ‘evangelized’?
Dear whoever you are, Turkson is not promoting alteernative style of life so that he can eangelize thos choosing it.
He is saying that thee church is there on the earth to evenvaglize those who choose alternative style of life as well as all of us who are sinners still.
The evangelization he is talking about is bringing the good news of salvation for all who believe in God’s gift to the world for mercy.
Stop twisting what he says and change its interpretation or meaning.
Turkson is an intellingent man, a spiritual and God faring man who loves every human being and cares for His God’s lost sheeps who are choose evil than good.
You and know that he is right, but bcause today’s world wants to condemn the innocent or to reject the truth, we act in the way that we are accpted by this generation that loves lies and evil.
Sorry for the spelling mistake, I meant he is God’s fearing man and I also meant You and I know the truth. and those who are choosing and not those are choose.
English is not my first language by the way.
Be blessed!
INTERVIEW WITH THE CARDINAL PETER TURKSON
Dear Sir,
I was looking forward to your talk with the sharp and intelligent Ms Amanpour.
What in particular fascinated me was that you insisted that there is no sexual molestation in Africa and the fact that you do not know the difference between homosexuals and paedophiles.
Paedophiles like to have sex with children, while homosexuals like grown men.
As for Africa, I have lived here for over fifty years and there are as many homosexuals as in the rest of the world, particularly in Ghana.
You, and the rest of the churches, name and shame them and afterwards they are beaten to death because of your preaching against them.
Where is your love for all children of God then?
In particular, the rape of children in Africa is on the daily order and you know that very well.
I hope you do not presume to become Pope with your bad teeth and sarcoma eyes.
If, as they say that the eyes are the mirrors of people’s souls, THEN GOD HELP US!
Also the fact that you want to become Pope is totally obscene, with your pursed lips like an old queen.
I am very worried about the Catholic Church, if that is what you have to offer, a lot of mumbo jumbo.
Ralph Krall
South Africa
I hope that you really know what is God’s love first before condemning the Cardinal!
He is more concerned for children’s molestation in all the parts of the world as well as the implications of the homosexuality in today’s world.
Are you homosexual yourself or lesbien??
If you are, then answer me sincerly, are you happy or satisfied with your seexual life and let alone your entire life, being hosexual or lesbian?
If you are not homo, why are you not one of them?
Turkson doesn’t condemn anybody nor does he accuse anyone, he is just speaking the truth that is the word of God and if the truth hurts you as it does always hurt those who do not love it, it is your right to get hurt.