Timothy George – The New Pope Should be Catholic!

Over at First Things is a great article by my favourite Baptist Theologian, Timothy George, on The Next Pope Should Be Catholic.

In particular I liked these two quotes:

John Paul II invited Christians throughout the divided Church to advise him on how he could best carry out his office in faithfulness to Jesus’ prayer that his disciples “may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent me” (John 17:21). Benedict XVI deepened this emphasis. To be truly Catholic, the next pope must continue to build on the work of his two predecessors.

True catholicity does not consist of historical continuity, numerical quantity, and cultural variety alone. Ignatius of Antioch, an early martyr, gave us the first use of the word: “Where Jesus Christ is,” he wrote, “there is the Catholic Church.” As Christians come closer to Christ, they draw closer to one another. In selecting the next pope, theology and spirituality should count for more than geography and style.