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An Asian view of Benedict's words: Jesus of the Gospels must supplant Christ of the colonizers, says Sri Lankan theologian.

Article Excerpt
Since his election, media circles have generally been accepting the view of Pope Benedict XVI as a person who is simple, humble, intelligent and consistent in his theological positions. In his inauguration homily of April 24, the pope did not lay out a program of governance or deal with issues of morality that are so often discussed these days. He spoke rather of the role and service of the pope in the present world by using metaphors and symbols and events from the Gospels and Epistles.

In this essay, I reflect from an Asian perspective on Pope Benedict's inauguration homily, asking what are the worldview, the anthropology and the Christology behind his words. (All quotes in the essay are taken from the homily, a longer version of which can be found at left.)

A fallen/lost humanity

The pope's understanding of the world reflects the traditional theology of the fall of humanity into original sin and the need of a redeemer who saves us by his sacrifice as the Lamb of God. It is a worldview in which

the human race--every one of us--is the lost sheep in the desert which no longer knows the way.... The pastor must be inspired by Christ's holy zeal: For him it is not a matter of indifference that so many people are living in the desert. And there are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of...

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