Another Objective Look at Benedict XVI

Slate, which purports to be an unbiased news source, has this front headline today: "Ratz! Cardinal Ratzinger is a great choice for pope--if the church wants to adhere to backward doctrine, alienate more of its followers, and lose more influence in the developing world." The feature article is written by . . . What else: An ex-Jesuit seminarian (are all dissidents ex-Jesuit seminarians?) who is now Episcopalian. Anyway, here's the link to Slate if you want to read a smug piece of junk. LINK.

And heck, and as long as our blood pressure is up already, here's NYT's Maureen Dowd's two cents (and that's being generous):

The white smoke yesterday signaled that the Vatican thinks what it needs to bring it into modernity is the oldest pope since the 18th century: Joseph Ratzinger, a 78-year-old hidebound archconservative who ran the office that used to be called the Inquisition and who once belonged to Hitler Youth. For American Catholics - especially women and Democratic pro-choice Catholic pols - the cafeteria is officially closed. After all, Cardinal Ratzinger, nicknamed "God's Rottweiler" and "the Enforcer," helped deny Communion rights to John Kerry and other Catholic politicians in the 2004 election. LINK.