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	Ketchum: Benedict XVI May Be What Church Needs By Jim Ketchum Times Herald April 19, 2008 http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/OPINION02/804190313/1014/OPINION Nearly three years after succeeding one of the most charismatic popes ever to rule the Roman Catholic Church, Benedict XVI has come calling to the United States. The pontiff arrived Tuesday for a six-day visit that finds eight in 10 of the American faithful are somewhat or very satisfied with his leadership of the church. Not a bad statistic for an 81-year-old former cardinal from Germany who had the reputation as "God's Rottweiler" when he served as chief enforcer of church dogma under the rule of Pope John Paul II. At the same time, a survey shows only one-third of U.S. Catholics attend Mass weekly and 68% said they could be in good standing with the church without going to Mass weekly. Also, 30% go to confession less than once a year and 45% say they never go. Can you confess never going to confession? On balance, Benedict has drawn praise since he succeeded John Paul II. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he probably was as close as anyone to the late pontiff and understood his thinking. For all the accolades showered on John Paul, he was no raving liberal. The pope got a warm welcome from President Bush, who greeted him at the airport. Actually, Bush picked him up there. As one late-night TV comic observed, you know your presidency is pretty much over when you're reduced to picking dignitaries up at the airport. Benedict's visit comes as the U.S. church continues to struggle with a shortage of priests, an ongoing debate about the role of women in the church and the clergy sexual abuse scandal that erupted more than five years ago. The pope has acknowledged "a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the church in general" and has vowed to "do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future." He has said he is "deeply ashamed" about what has happened. The scandal remains the greatest piece of unfinished business the U.S. church faces. While some offenders have wound up behind bars and some dioceses have paid settlements that have driven them to bankruptcy, the damage remains. The pope has pledged reform, but the climate of secrecy that bred the scandal hasn't changed. It happened behind closed doors and those doors remain tightly shut. The church still prefers to wash its dirty laundry in secret. Benedict XVI has vowed to "absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry." The problem is that most of these low-lifes are smart enough to hide that side of themselves until after they've committed an unspeakable offense and then managed to convince the victim to keep quiet about it. Let's hope what Benedict is saying is that, once discovered, pedophiles not only will get the boot from the priesthood but will face publicly the full weight of criminal prosecution. Playing the old shell game of moving pedophile priests from parish to parish ought to be as serious a crime as sexual abuse itself. If he accomplishes nothing else, this pope could ensure a worthy legacy if he can end this dark chapter in the church's history with the justice its victims deserve. Contact Jim Ketchum at jeketchum1@att.net
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