Pope chat

It would seem strange to overlook the TV and radio interview Papa Ratzi gave to four German journalists, which took place on May 8 but is only now being released in English (available on the U.K. Tablet's website).

Granting that the questions were softballs to say the least (a lot of Holy Father-this and Holy Father-that--though probably just a question of protocol), Benedict seems to have been charming, affable, and moderate. He was given plenty of opportunity to go on a tirade about secularism and same-sex marriage and the like, but he repeatedly returned to the idea that Catholicism needs to present a positive vision rather than just saying "no" all the time. He even seemed to be trying to avoid saying things that would seem negative, although his answer to why the church continued to oppose the use of condoms in the effort against HIV/AIDS seemed unnecessarily meandering and a little obtuse.

I'll let you read it for yourself--it's worth the 20 minutes it will take. But in light of B16's general positive tone, openness to dialogue, and appreciation for collegiality of all things, one starts to wonder if there isn't indeed some bad cop to Bennie's good, who keeps running around issuing scathing condemnations right and left.

Either that or we've got a Jeckyll-and-Hyde pope on our hands. Better send Katie Couric in to find out.