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| English: Pope Benedict XVI during general audition (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, was a tough act to follow. John Paul was a relative rock star, a Polish pope who survived an assassination attempt, boldly went where no previous pontiff had ever gone, and presiding over the fall of the Soviet Union.
Benedict, who's 85 and in ill health, was chosen to continue the conservative policies of John Paul II following his death. Policies that have chafed at every devout Catholic, particularly in the Western world, such as no birth control, no married or female priests. It makes you wonder how the Catholic Church has managed to survive in the 21st century with 12th century values. Or with any religion, for that matter.
What's worse, Benedict leaves behind a trail of broken lives among those whose priests may or may not have taken sexual liberties with them as children, which the Catholic Church has been slow to deal with. If they dealt with it at all.
The next pope, those who follow what goes on in the Vatican believe, will not be much different from either Benedict or John Paul in terms of policies. He (and it will be a he) will just stubbornly stick to his rosaries as more and more rank and file Catholics head for the exits in disgust.
Watching Benedict (who will now have the Pope Emeritus title bestowed on him) take off from the Vatican in a helicopter to start a new life in retirement was certainly an historic moment. To some people, he will be admired for leaving the papacy the way he wanted. To others, he's a reminder of another leader who resigned under a cloud of controversy and rode off into the sunset. His name was Richard Nixon.
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