Growing up Catholic, I was always aware that the Pope was “the big man on campus”.  He was the face of my religion, and to be honest, there is little I know about him besides that. Some Catholics turn to the Pope more than others when seeking answers concerning their faith; I would assume it is fairly obvious that I am not one of those Catholics. However, when I learned that Pope Benedict XVI was the first Pope to be resigning in six centuries, my interest was sparked.

Personally, I feel that Roman Catholics are stuck in a bit of a rut. Celibate, unmarried, men are the only candidates that can participate in the path to priesthood. Gay men and women are still seen as sinners. The arguments against these topics are that these practices are condemned in the Bible, or that these ways are tradition, but we are in the 21st century, and traditions change. Ironically, it says in the Bible that God chose prostitutes over church-goers. Who says a married man with five kids would not make a wonderful priest? We will not know the answer until we have stepped out of our 17th century mindset.

My parents attended a Jesuit university, and there they befriended a young priest who was also a Catholic songwriter. This man, after years of working for the church, was asked to leave the priesthood after coming out as a homosexual. He moved across the country, married his partner, and is still a practicing Catholic. However, when he and his partner attend mass, many churches will ask them to leave. The most ironic part is that during these services, many parishes will be singing one of the songs that this former priest wrote. The church sings and praises his songs, but will not let him worship among them. This is a problem.

My hope, when all of the Cardinals come together on March 1st to choose a new Pope, is that they will keep the future in mind. I am confident that my church, with the help of the new Pope, can open their eyes to the world around them, and become a more accepting community.