Pop Theology

Catholic faith, at it's essence, is the radical idea of unqualified compassion towards one another. The other elements of doctrine - from the sacraments to the encyclicals on life and economics - are tied together with a theology built on that moral bedrock.

To listen to the news today you would imagine that contraception or the ordination of women are the core articles of faith. And as expected, the pundits are in overdrive. I watched MSNBC last night, and at one point I was sure Pat Buchanan was going cuff Carl Bernstein on the head.

In the end, what will change? In America millions of cafeteria Catholics will continue to walk past the steam tray of sin for the frosted bon-bons of forgiveness, while the conservatives will utter solemn prayers on their behalf.

But if conservatives imagine Benedict won't pursue any reformation, they may want to reconsider. There's something about being elected to any position 'for life' that causes people to tilt in unexpected directions upon their ascendancy. Pope John Paul was one example, and some members of the current U.S. Supreme Court are another.