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	Pope Has Shown Himself to Be Effective Pontiff Niagara Falls Review April 24, 2008 http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1000568 Pope Benedict XVI's recently-completed visit to the United States has likely secured his place in history. That's because he has done what few people would have predicted: Proven himself to be a more effective pontiff than his predecessor. Of course, John Paul II was wildly popular and famous for having visited more than 100 countries. But, in the final analysis, he dedicated too much of his energy to keeping the church rooted in the past and, more importantly, he ignored the elephant in the room: The molestation of children by priests. Benedict, in his sixth visit to the U.S. (and first as Pope), in contrast, tackled the issue of sexual abuse with courage and sensitivity. He did what the Polish pope should have done many years before. For that, historians may eventually remember Benedict for playing a role somewhat like Lyndon B. Johnson did after John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Remember, as much as Kennedy spoke of setting big goals, it was Johnson who actually designed the Great Society: The liberal legislation involving civil rights, Medicare (health care for the elderly), Medicaid (health care for the poor) and the War on Poverty. Benedict addressed the issue of sexual abuse before his airplane had even landed on U.S. soil and mentioned it in almost every major speech. Furthermore, he met privately with molestation victims and urged bishops to work harder to stamp out such sins among the priesthood. Benedict appears well on the road to eclipsing the accomplishments of John Paul, but there is a danger he, too, will stick to the status quo too much. A recent episode of PBS's The McLaughlin Group TV show noted Benedict is against stem-cell research, birth control, homosexuality and female priests. He would do well to lead the church into this century by reversing the Vatican's tired stance on those issues. In all fairness, it should be noted that the majority of Catholic priests are good men, including the man who leads them all. He is not the man to truly modernize the church, but perhaps he can help it to hold its own until the man or woman who will make important, revolutionary changes is selected as pope.
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