Benedict’s Global Agenda
by Samuel Gregg, D.Phil.
Monday, April 23, 2007

This week marks the second anniversary of Benedict XVI’s papacy. Two years is but a blink of an eye in the history of this 2000 year-old institution. But it is enough to identify the particular lines being pursued by Catholicism’s theologian-pope.

In one sense, the papacy’s role is eternal, whoever occupies Peter’s chair. It is to assist the Catholic Church in spreading the Christian message, to be the focus of unity for Catholics (particularly bishops) worldwide, and to explain and defend Catholicism’s essential teachings.

For most people, that would seem more than enough to do. But each pope also brings specific issues to the position. the rest