One year on, Benedict is surprisingly popular, but problems remain

By Nicholas Rigillo Apr 19, 2006, 11:36 GMT

Vatican City - Initially billed as a stern and somewhat unsympathetic intellectual, Joseph Ratzinger has proved surprisingly popular during his first year as Pope Benedict XVI.

Vatican data shows that record crowds have been attending his weekly audiences while Italians have given the German-born pontiff 8 marks out of 10 so far, according to a recent SWG opinion poll.

And though his pontificate is still taking shape, he has eased comfortably into his new role, smiling and looking relaxed as the tens of thousands of faithful gather in St. Peter's Square to hear him preach with clear and gripping words about Christian love, peace or the need to place people above profits. Never forgetting to keep alive the teachings of his much-loved predecessor, John Paul II.

Unlike John Paul, however, Benedict has vowed to travel less, write less and to favour substance over form.

So what does this new papacy look like, and what has 78-year-old Benedict actually achieved since his election of April 19, 2005?

On the theological front, there has been little in the way of novelty so far. This was to be expected.

As Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger spent nearly a quarter of a century defending Church orthodoxy.

And even after his election as pope, he has remained strongly against what he calls 'the dictatorship of relativism,' at the same time not appearing at all inclined to relax the Church's traditional opposition to gay marriages, priest celibacy or contraception.

In fact, Benedict has perhaps strengthened his image as a conservative, for instance by seeking to restore more traditional ways of celebrating Holy Mass or by scolding bishops who water down moral doctrine.

At the same time, his agreeing to meet famous Catholic dissidents like Hans Kueng or excommunicated Lefebvrite Bishop Bernard Fellay shows that he is unexpectedly willing to dialogue with those who do not share his views.

On the international front, he has made steps forward towards re- establishing ties with China - which were cut off in 1951 - by promoting Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun to the post of cardinal and there is growing talk of a possible visit to Russia amid slowly improving relations between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches.

Benedict has certainly followed in John Paul's footsteps when it comes to fostering ties with Jews. He made a point of visiting Cologne's main synagogue during his first trip abroad and has met with Italian and American Jewish leaders on several occasions. He has also hinted at a possible trip to the Holy Land during talks with visiting Israeli officials.

His position towards the Islamic world, however, appears less clear-cut. Vatican experts note that while he has rejected the 'clash of civilizations' paradigm and has criticised the publication in the western media of controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, his decision to give the head of the Pontifical Council for Culture temporary control over dialogue with Muslims has been seen by some as a downgrading of dialogue.

Which brings us to one of the most closely-watched revolutions expected of Benedict: the reform of the Curia - the central administration governing the Roman Catholic Church.

Ratzinger was never a fan of bureaucracy and many Vatican insiders hoped that the new pope would make significant changes to an over- inflated body that has in the past been accused of underestimating the impact of far-away problems, such as the sex scandals that have implicated Catholic priests in the United States and elsewhere.

Benedict has indeed began to streamline the Curia by merging together several pontifical councils, but his most significant new appointment to date remains that of former San Francisco Archbishop William J. Levada as his successor at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Experts like Sandro Magister of Italian weekly L'Espresso claim that Benedict is somewhat isolated within the Curia and has his fair share of critics within.

One area in which changes are notable is in his handling of demands for greater 'collegiality' - a Church term used to describe a form of social organization based on shared and equal participation of all its members as opposed to a hierarchical, pyramidal structure.

He convened a Synod of Bishops in October, in which he encouraged prelates to discuss some of the thorniest issues facing the Church, and has vowed to consult more with cardinals, the Church's highest- ranking dignitaries after the pope himself.

But perhaps one of the biggest criticisms directed at Benedict are his failure to address the chronic shortage of priests facing the Church today and the steady decline in the number of church-goers, both in the western world and in other traditionally Catholic parts of the world like Latin America. <!--page-->

However, as one Vatican insider noted, while 'Benedict recognizes that he is not going to devise a policy or programme that will bring people back to Mass, he has, in his own way, been explaining why Mass is important, hoping that his teachings will filter down to Catholics around the world.'

In fact, people like Magister argue that virtually every act by Benedict so far has been aimed at 'restoring to the truth of Jesus Christ its primacy and splendour'.

This was particularly evident in his most important document to date, the encyclical Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), in which has sought to explain Christian love while slamming the secular idea of sex as a commodity.

The message of Deus Caritas Est, Magister argues, was also directed at non-believers, not just practising Catholics.

'What Benedict is trying to say with this encyclical is that with a God like this, you may have the strength to live 'as if God exists', even if you do not have the strength to believe.'