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When I was seventeen years old my parents were living in Rome and I was often in the city. I was invited by a friend of theirs, a cultured German who had lived there for many years, to attend morning mass at the German church attached to the Collegio Teutonico. He told me it was a special place. I turned up late, having had difficulty in finding it. The service had already started and I slipped quietly into a seat near the door. The priest saying Mass was a small man with a mane of snowy white hair and a very soft and kindly voice. I had no idea who he was, but his serenity seemed to wash over everyone in that congregation. He gave a short homily which I could not really understand but just listening to him speak and watching his economical but eloquent gestures as he emphasised a point was enough to grasp the great conviction in his words. When he administered Holy Communion, he looked directly at you, his eyes shining with the significance of the great gift he was giving you. His sincerity and holiness almost made the air vibrate.

When the service was over I waited for my companion who had been sitting at the front with a group of his students. Most of the congregation was also waiting around near the sacristy. This, I later discovered, was what normally happened people came to hear and to meet Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. That morning my friend introduced me to the Cardinal. His name was familiar, but I knew very little about him. He took both my hands, gave me a enchanting, shy smile and chatted with us in charmingly accented English. His warmth and his kindness, his interest in me and in what I was doing, in what I thought about Rome an interest, incidentally, he showed in everyone was really striking. I liked him instantly. He was what the Italians call simpatico. Just looking at him made me smile, not because he was handsome, but because he was so full of joy himself. For the first time, I understood what is meant by inner beauty.

After that morning I went on several occasions to the church in the Campo and I also began to read about the Cardinal. It was impossible to identify the caricature I read about with the cultured and gentle person who had so impressed me.

I have begun with this rather oblique introduction because those first impressions of Joseph Ratzinger, more than ten years ago, are still the things which impress me today. He hasnt changed. Serenity, conviction, gentleness, holiness, warmth, kindness, strength, a certain shyness and a powerful intellect these are the qualities at the core of him which draw people to him in his new global role. People who meet him feel it instantly. He is totally genuine. There is nothing fake about him and in a world leader that is a wonderful quality.

So what about his first year as Pope Benedict XVI? Pope John Paul II was a phenomenon. Truly charismatic in every sense of the word, he could fill not just a room with his personality but a football stadium. The long years of his cruel decline burnt his courage and his strength into the consciousness of people far beyond the Church. His travels and his media presence made him a familiar global father figure. He was beloved, even, I suspect, by people who disagreed with him. He changed the public perception of the papacy and raised the bar for anyone who followed him. The media coverage which accompanied his death and his funeral turned the spotlight on his successor more than on any new Pope over the last two millennia.

If John Pauls funeral was the most watched funeral ever, then the election of his successor was the most watched papal election ever. From the very first moment, Joseph Ratzinger did not put a foot wrong. He handled the transition brilliantly, and he did it by being totally himself. He understood the emotions of the shell-shocked millions who were feeling orphaned by the death of Papa Wojtyla. He openly showed them that he missed his friend, that he was relying on him, and on us, to help him to shoulder the great burden. Nobody else could possibly have done it better. I loved Papa Wojtyla, and for me, Joseph Ratzinger was the only possible successor.

After such a long papacy, comparisons with his predecessor were initially inevitable. I see no reason to take offence at this. Benedicts style is different, but no less effective. He has certainly grown into the role over the last year, especially in his encounters with the crowds. Pope John Paul II delighted in being at the centre of a huge throng. He could play them like an instrument and he was completely comfortable. Although as a Cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger was used to being centre stage and to having a public presence, the magnitude of the exposure in his role as Pope is unimaginably greater. He was primarily an academic, used to dealing with a restrained intellectual audience and the occasional protester but he is also shy, with a captivating diffidence. To face a crowd of tens of thousands, all screaming and clamouring for him, must, at the outset, have been an unnerving experience.

His first public appearances show this uncertainty. The famous photograph of him, taken by Arturo Mari before he went out on the balcony on April 19th, shows the apprehension in his eyes. How would he be welcomed? He knew, that for some, he was not what they hoped for. He was pleasantly surprised and I think he is still sometimes a little surprised by the extent of the enthusiasm in the crowd.

In the address he gave at the GA on April 19th 2006, the first anniversary of his election he said, with great emotion:

I remember with emotion my first impact with the faithful gathered in this same square, from the central loggia of the basilica, immediately after my election.

That meeting is still impressed upon my mind and heart. It was followed by many others that have given me an opportunity to experience the deep truth of my words at the solemn concelebration with which I formally began to exercise my Petrine ministry: "I too can say with renewed conviction: I am not alone. I do not have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone"

And I feel more and more that alone I could not carry out this task, this mission. But I also feel that you are carrying it with me: Thus, I am in a great communion and together we can go ahead with the Lord's mission. The heavenly protection of God and of the saints is an irreplaceable support to me and I am comforted by your closeness, dear friends, who do not let me do without the gift of your indulgence and your love.

On the day of his installation he walked out of the great east doors of St Peters Basilica to be greeted by a thunderous roar of applause. The enormous crowd spilled out of the square and stretched as far as the banks of the Tiber. He was clearly both nervous and astonished. At the end of the service he climbed aboard the open Pope-mobile and took his first ride among the people. Hands stretched out to him from all directions. There were incessant cries of Benedetto, Benedetto. He smiled and raised his hand in blessing and he may have thought that this was a one off, that all the clamouring would fade away as people got used to the new Pope. Of course, it was not a one- off.

His homily that day was masterful - a model of clarity which at the same time contained great depth. The Professor Pope has followed the Actor Pope and it feels like a totally natural progression. His important homilies and addresses over the last year have all had that combination of clarity and depth. He is easy to listen to because is a great teacher, and he is a great teacher because he has profound knowledge and complete conviction.

The magnificent encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, is probably the greatest single achievement of the past year. It drew universal acclaim and made even his greatest opponents see him with new eyes. Other highlights of Benedict as teacher include the spontaneous Q and A sessions he has conducted with children and with clergy. Only someone completely comfortable with his convictions could handle these sessions with such obvious integrity and quiet confidence. His homilies and addresses have been consistently profound and uplifting.

World Youth Day in Cologne, coming only a few months into his Papacy, was perhaps his greatest challenge. As an event WYD was indelibly associated with Papa Wojtyla. Benedict gladly and bravely went to Cologne and he did it his way, and did it brilliantly. At Marienfeld he held the enormous multitude with the power of his words:

By making the bread into his Body and the wine into his Blood, he anticipates his death, he accepts it in his heart, and he transforms it into an action of love. What on the outside is simply brutal violence - the Crucifixion - from within becomes an act of total self-giving love. This is the substantial transformation which was accomplished at the Last Supper and was destined to set in motion a series of transformations leading ultimately to the transformation of the world when God will be all in all.

To use an image well known to us today, this is like inducing nuclear fission in the very heart of being - the victory of love over hatred, the victory of love over death. Only this intimate explosion of good conquering evil can then trigger off the series of transformations that little by little will change the world.

It was a triumph, and one of which he should be justly proud and in his homeland too.

On the political front he has spoken out against injustice, war and hunger. In his address to the Diplomatic Corps, in January 2006, he spoke about truth, freedom, forgiveness and reconciliation. He was forthright about many issues, including the Middle East and terrorism:

the State of Israel has to be able to exist peacefully in conformity with the norms of international law; there, equally, the Palestinian people has to be able to develop serenely its own democratic institutions for a free and prosperous future.

Terrorism does not hesitate to strike defenceless people, without discrimination, or to impose inhuman blackmail, causing panic among entire populations, in order to force political leaders to support the designs of the terrorists. No situation can justify such criminal activity, which covers the perpetrators with infamy, and it is all the more deplorable when it hides behind religion, thereby bringing the pure truth of God down to the level of the terrorists own blindness and moral perversion.

In the domestic arena he has, with Cardinal Ruini, skilfully influenced the voting public in Italy.

So far he has not enacted any sweeping reform of the Curia, something some people think is desirable. Others have pointed out that as Archbishop of Munich he took time to get to know the internal workings of the diocese before making any changes. If, after due consideration, the Pope considers reform necessary, no doubt he will reform. In the meantime speculation seems futile.

He has revived some traditions. Pope Benedict wears red shoes, has revived the wider pallium, the Fishermans Ring, the velvet mozzeta and, unfortunately, the unflattering camauro. The liturgy at Pontifical Masses is now more traditional. On the other hand he has removed the tiara from his Coat of Arms.

Many predicted that this Pope would not travel like Pope John Paul II. In his first year it is true that he only made one trip outside Italy, to his native Germany for WYD. For the future his travel diary is filling up Poland later this month, followed by Spain, Bavaria and Turkey. Next year he will cross the Atlantic to Latin America. Will Brazil be his only stop, or will he revisit some of the countries he went to as a Cardinal? Or perhaps to other countries he has yet to visit on that vast continent which faces so many challenges? He has said he will go to Australia for the next WYD. There are invitations from Israel, England, Canada, and the USA. He is not such a stayathome Pope after all, and where he goes the crowds will gather.

Gradually Pope Benedict has become more comfortable with the crowds and more willing to interact with them. At first he tried to minimise the physical contact between himself and the people. It can be difficult for someone who is naturally shy to be tactile with complete strangers, and Joseph Ratzinger does not believe there should be a cult of personality around the Pope. Nevertheless, he has come to understand that people need to touch him, that they feel somehow reassured and elated by being near him, and he does his best to satisfy them. Now he gently kisses babies without persuasion, although he is yet to confidently sweep them up in his arms like JP II. He takes time to touch outstretched hands as he leaves the Basilica or after general audiences. I am not sure he really enjoys it, but he does it graciously, and with a sweet smile.

Far from being the polarising influence that many predicted, Benedict has tried to be a unifier. He has made progress with the Orthodox Church, and engaged with China and with Moscow, although the Chinese initiative seems to have hit a sticky patch. He has met Hans Kung and Bernard Fellay, men from opposite ends of the ecclesiastical spectrum. Oriana Fallaci was received at Castelgandolfo. He will meet the Archbishop of Canterbury in the autumn. He has established good relations with the Jewish community and is aware of the need to approach and, if necessary, to confront Islam. Pope Benedict has shown that he is a man of dialogue; that he listens and considers before he acts. That can only be a great asset in a man who leads such a huge and diverse institution.

The day after Pope John Paul II died Cardinal Ratzinger could be seen on television screens around the globe walking behind the body of the Pope as it was carried into St Peters Basilica. He looked exhausted, his eyes ringed with the deep purple shadows of sleepless nights. At the funeral he was centre stage, celebrating the life of a great Pope and bidding a fond farewell with a memorable homily Follow me. Did he know then that he was going to be the One, that his wily friend had kept him in Rome to shoulder the burden and continue the task? It must have crossed his mind and perhaps he dreaded the prospect. Fortunately for the Church he bravely accepted the burden and gave up his dream of retiring to his beloved Bavaria. Somewhere, recently, I read a touching quotation of Pope Benedicts which sums up the extent of his sacrifice. He was asked if he didnt miss Bavaria very much now that he is a perpetual exile. He said, Yes. In my heart I shall always be Bavarian, but now I belong to the world.

Why is it that any mention of a comparison between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II regardless of the context in which it is made brings some people out in a cold sweat? It is entirely reasonable that someone like John Allen a journalist, whose job it is to report on the church and the man who leads it should comment on the differences and difficulties he encounters in doing so. Allen is making a rational observation, not mounting a flak attack. He knows exactly what he is talking about.

Anyone whose reading extends beyond Avvenire and Inside the Vatican will know that Pope Benedict is not reported on the front pages. In fact, he is not reported very often even on the inside pages. Anyone who watches anything other than EWTN or CTV will know that Pope Benedict is not headline news. Actually, he is rarely in the news. The exception has been Auschwitz. The situation is only marginally different even in Italy, where Vatican intrigue and gossip is of slightly greater interest than it is in other countries.

It matters that Pope Benedict should be comprehensively and fairly reported. For those who value Joseph Ratzinger for the totality of his person for his great intellect, his moral integrity, his ability to communicate great truths with clarity and conviction - it is vital that these qualities should reach a wider audience. The world needs to hear about Pope Benedict XVI about what he does, what he thinks and what he says. Allen knows this. He is reporting the fact that it is not happening often enough.

The complete article goes into some detail on the pros and cons of an evangelizing papacy using bold visual gestures versus a more low key, cerebral style. It is an interesting and a relevant debate. One wonders if people have actually read the article.

With regard to media coverage of the papacy, it should be sobering for some fans to recall that had it not been for the global coverage of the death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, they might never have heard of (or seen!) Joseph Ratzinger. Then they would never have experienced the hormonal surge or the spiritual earthquake which they believe has transformed their lives.

Do you also think that Pope Benedict would have appreciated your desire to ask him if he had ever been in love which you seemed very keen to push as an idea when you first joined the forum?

This was a question asked by Seewald, and was perfectly legitimate in the context in which it was posed an imaginary and lighthearted Dinner with Joseph Ratzinger. It is a question I, and others, have asked a number of friends who are priests. They have never been offended. They understand that lay people appreciate the sacrifice they are making in offering their lives to the priesthood.

It was not an idea I pushed. That is just your distorted viewpoint and it was you who made an issue of it at the time. In any case it is considerably less embarrassing for a priest in his eightieth year to be asked such a question than discovering that he is the occasion of a hormonal surge.

If my powers of recall regarding how long you have known about Joseph Ratzinger are at fault, then there are a few other members whose powers of recall are also at fault too.

Other members have never expressed any such recall in public. Perhaps you can identify them and the post which is the subject of the recall which I repeat, is at fault.

In my first post I said:

JP II was my hero, and I still miss him, but I have always admired Joseph Ratzinger and I thought he was the only possible choice to follow Karol Wojtyla.(7th Nov 2005).


So, you are a "fan" aren't you?

Mary Benedict I dont understand what you are getting at with this question. In fact, I find the question thoroughly offensive. What, precisely, gives you the vaguest impression that I am anything other than a fan?

Joseph Ratzinger is not a vacuous rock star, and those who appreciate him are supposedly more sophisticated, mature and intellectually able than the average fans who follow rockers. Perhaps, in this I am wrong, as this kind of tedious argument is rather too frequent. It is, notably, usually caused by the same very few people. You Mary, are not usually one of them.