Careful about that infallibility thing. Popes aren't infallible, but their statements can be deemed infallible if those statements meet very strict guidelines. The most important restriction is that the statement must be something that is already part of the common belief of Catholics - it cannot be something that is imposed upon them. There have been two infallible statements made since the Doctrine of Infallibility was decreed in the 1870's - both of thes statements involved bestowing rather innocuous titles on Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Still and all, the choice of Ratzinger is very distressing to me. He had a reputation as a competent theologian, and was regarded as a "liberal" until the 1970's. he has been viewed as a rigid conservative since he took over as the chief doctrine man in the early 1980's, but many of his statements are not as rigid and conservative as one might think All you see in the newspapers is a one-line layman's summary of a 40-page document.

I have an acquaintance who has worked for Ratzinger for the last several years, and he has many good things to say about Ratzinger as a person. I'm willing to give him a chance, but I'm worried.

-Joe Offer-