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Christopher's round-up was what led me for the first time to survey the universe of Catholic bloggers in the USA, and to many other fine articles about the Pope and religious issues that I would otherwise never had known about. Thanks, Webmaster par excellence and enthusiastic, militant apologeticist (is that the right word?), for your invaluable work! People like you are Papa Ratzi's cooperatores veritatis.

Messori's article translated uncomfortable with-
"The days in Cologne seem to have given the lie to some predictions before the event and to have confirmed others.
For instance, the meterologists were proven wrong: the rain spared Marienfeld, contrary to predictions of a storm. And there were those - me among them - who feared that the new Pope would give the impression of asomewhat awkward substitute, a deputy called upon to direct an event not initiated by him and perhaps, one he himself did not truly want. We knew that Ratzinger was not comfortable with mass gatherings, with a stadium atmosphere, with a sort of "guitar-strumming Catholicism." A post-modern intellectual, formed within a culture such as Germany's which invented all the anti-Christian ideologies, he has been a champion of theological reason against appeals to emotive sentiments. So would he be at ease in the confusion, a joyful one, of cohruses, flags, music, backpacks, sleeping bags and assistant parish priests with their heated oratory? In fact, the first accounts show that Benedict XVI has triumphantly faced the challenge and quite well.
Obviously, he above all deserves the merit - he never missed the opportunity to acknowledge his "venerable predecessor", as he always referred to him, but he never tried to .... that unique style, he never tried to imitate that expressive force and instinctive appeal (that John Paul had). He had the courage to be himself - with that candid boyish face in a man who is almost 80, his diligent earnestnseriousness, his

...(Sorry, the anti-scam lock posted me involuntarily again!)
"...his restrained gestures, that gentle professorial voice , his lighthearted smile - not of a showman but of a father who loves wholeheartedly - even if his shyness does not permit him to indulge in stage gestures. And it is precisely his veneration for the Pope whom he served as principal collaborator over a quarter century that has guided him to present himself with his habitual humility and sincerity, devoid of any artifice. The youth at Cologne understood that and, I think, appreciated him for that. By their enthusiastic participation, which never went overboard, they made it known that they loved Joseph as much as they did Karol, that they were there to see him, acclaim him, listen to him, and promise to obey his exhortations. And they appeared convinced as well as at peace with it.

"The danger that (most observers) feared had been side-stepped: John Paul II's extraordinary appeal, his manifest holiness - would this have led to an excessive cult of personality, would this major church event, of which he had been a blazing protagonist, be linked to him and him alone? Cologne showed that regardless of a particular Pope's charisma, the youth realize that what really counts is Christ and the Church, of which one man - whose face changes from time to time - is the Vicar and chief. Diversity but not discontinuity, therefore, between John Paul and Benedict: the immense international gathering grasped that fact. And it augurs well for this new Papcy.

"As for the predictions that went right: Many comments in the media on Benedict's speeches to the evangelicals, the Jews and the Muslims, extrapolated only those phrases favored and appreciated by political correctness. Dialogue, outstretched hands, open arms, peace, universal brotherhood, edifying prospects. Of course, these were all present. But that Papa Ratzinger was earlier thought to be incapable of being a man of dialogue and ecumenism was only because he has been a victim of ill-intentioned caricature.

"In fact he has always used dialogue and ecumenism, now more than ever, but in full awareness that they can be illusion if not outright lies, if truth and justice do not go hand in hand with brotherhood.

"He told the evangelical Protestants explicitly: 'There cannot be a dialogue at the expense of truth,' because he is convinced that 'the unity that Christ desired can be found (only) in the Catholic Church.' To the Jews, this man who has shown so many times in the past his affection for the Jewish roots of Christianity, rendered appropriate homage and recognition, but he did not present new apologies in the name of the Church and he did not respond to calls for yet another inquisition over Pius XII. He cited the expulsion of the Jews from Cologne in the 15th century but also the 'good times of peaceful coexistence.' He said the 'madness of Nazi ideology'
was not Christian but 'neo-pagan'. He pointed out that if dialogue is to be sincere, 'we should not gloss over or minimize the differences that do exist'.

"As for the Muslims, what better comment than the opening sentence of writer Magdi Allam reporting earlier in this paper on the Pope's meeting with the Muslim community of Cologne: 'Finally, we have a Pope, who in the presence of a Muslim delegation, has condemned terrorism with Islamic roots without ifs or buts.' ('senza se e senza ma'). Unfortunately, there is not enough space here to further elaborate on this.

"One prediction that went right: the ex-Prefect of the ex-Holy Office, the German professor of theology, presented himself to everyone as a father who is welcoming and respectful but at the same time, very much aware of his role as teacher and guardian of the faith. This is the man who wished to have the catechism become a best-seller - not only to be bought, but to be studied, and wherever possible, committed to memory.

"Precision, rigor, a refusal to surrender in any way to sentiment and to the desire to please, if this be at the expense of the truth - these are the signs of a gentle but determined rule, which intends to make room for everyone and everything but error."

Note:
---Well, actually, Messori did count himself among the skeptics, despite knowing this man perhaps more than any other journalist but Peter Seewald!

Nothing to do with the much-speculated Autumn Change of the Guard at the Roman Curia, but Papal nominations nevertheless.

According to the French service of Zenit, the Pope has named 6 consultants to the Vatican Commission for religious relations with Islam, under the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious dialog. Named for 5 years are a priest from Italy, a priest from Spain, an Australian Jesuit, a Sacred Heart nun, and 2 lay persons from the United States (Mme. Sandra Keating and M. Lamin Sanneh). They each have a 5-year term.

My point: I have no clue whether the 2nd American, who has a Muslim name, is man or woman, but at least 2 of 6 commissioners are women!

[I wish someone at Zenit could explain how they parcel out the daily stories among their different language services. They are far from identical, so one must look at the entire line-up for the day in order not to miss anything interesting. This item appeared only in the French service. Ditto, for the randomness with which they publish Joseph Ratzinger's earlier speeches and homilies - it's sometimes frustrating when you know he delivered a lecture in French, for instance, but it is published in the Spanish translation. A great resource regardless, for Ratzinger hounds, er...rottweilers.]

We will never know for sure, because the secrecy of the ballot box is as sacrosanct as the secrecy of the Conclave, but it looks like Germany's most prominent citizen will not exercise his right to vote in the coming parliamentary elections in Germany. Thanks once again to Kirsty in the German forum for the following news item from AFP....

"For the first time ever, a Pope has voting rights, in the coming German parliamentary elections on Friday. But it seems Benedict XVI will not exercise that right. 'True, he has a German passport and a eisidence in Bavaria, but I don't think it is likely that he will actually vote,' says Mgr. Ewald Nacke at the Vatican's Apostolic Nunciature in Berlin. He cited the Pope's unique case in being himself a head of state.

"However, Nacke had no news on what is in fact the latest certainty concerning the issue. After all, the Pope has a right to guard secrecy in this respect. Neither can the municipality of Pentling, where Joseph Ratzinger has a house, provide an update. Robert Griesbeck, speaking for the municpality, said that because of voting secrecy, they may not confirm whether the Pope has been sent an absentee ballot or not. Nor would he describe Ratzinger's previous voting record when he was a Cardinal, but he added, 'Before this, he always took active part in our community life.'

Note: I read in the German press during WYD that he did indeed vote by absentee ballot when he was a Cardinal.

"However, Nacke had no news on what is in fact the latest certainty concerning the issue. After all, the Pope has a right to guard secrecy int his respect. Neither can the municipality of Pentling, where Joseph Ratzinger has a house, provide an update. Robert Griesbeck, speaking for the municpality, said that because of voting secrecy, they may not confirm whether the Pope has been sent an absentee ballot or not. Nor would he describe Ratzinger's previous voting record when he was a Cardinal, but he added, 'Before this, he always took active part in our community life.'