On Joseph Ratzinger, a.k.a Pope Benedict XVI

An interesting look at the geopolitics of the current Pope. It's a bit of a heavy read, but worth slogging through. I think if you finish it, you can earn three credits in political theory....

Catholicism and I have a long history. I was raised a Catholic, but have attended primarily Presbyterian and Episcopal services since.

There are a lot of things about Catholicism that I don't like, enough that I don't attend Mass much anymore, unless I'm with my parents. That said, I have a reverence for and a love of Catholicism that starts with my great admiration for the office of the Pope.

There have been four Popes in my life; Paul VI, John Paul I and II, and now Benedict. Basically though, there really have only been two (the last two). I was too young to think clearly about Paul VI and JPI was on the scene for just a short while (always wondered if God simply vetoed the choice of the College of Cardinals).

John Paul II was a giant, a man with such moral authority that he is often put in the class of Thatcher, Reagan and Gorbachev in terms of his influence in the death of the Warsaw Pact. He played a dominant role in world politics for a long time, and his voice was one of strength and love for those yearning for freedom--political freedom and freedom from want.

Following him is a tough act, but I think Benedict is up to it. Read the article. Look at how he is talking to the world, especially the Islamic world. He understands (like many others), that Islam needs a reformation if it is to be a positive force in the modern world. His words urge are powerful, and some in the Islamic world are listening.

I like knowing that there is one guy in the world who spends all his waking moments thinking about every single one of the rest of us. At the moment, I'm glad it is Benedict XVI.