Commonweal and America writers assess new pope, church issues

Published: 2005-05-02

NEW YORK (CNS) -- In an editorial and series of articles, the May 6 issue of Commonweal magazine explored how Pope Benedict XVI might carry out his mission and deal with key issues facing the church. The May 9 issue of America magazine also editorialized on the new pope. Both national Catholic magazines asked readers not to assume that the newly elected pope's style of leadership will be the same as his style for the past 24 years as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "One should be cautious in making assumptions about what sort of pope he will be by looking at his record at the CDF. The pastoral dimension of the papacy alone will demand a different set of talents and skills," said the editors of Commonweal, a lay-run biweekly published in New York. The editorial in America, a New York-based weekly published by the Jesuits, said that in his first days as pope, "through deliberately chosen words and gestures, Benedict XVI seemed to suggest that ... he might surprise the world ... by transcending the stereotypes held by both his critics and his advocates."

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