8 Years

Day 1

From the Associated Press:

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI began his eighth year as pope on Tuesday after spending the waning days of his seventh driving home his view of the Catholic Church, with a divisive crackdown on dissenters and an equally divisive opening to a fringe group of traditionalists.

The coming year will likely see more of the same as the Vatican gears up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 church meetings that reshaped the Catholic Church and are key to understanding this papacy and Benedict's recent moves to stamp out liberal dissent and promote a more conservative brand of Catholicism. ...

"driving home his view of the Catholic Church..." It always brings a wry smile to the face to read how these folks report news on the Church, but at least they tapped one good source for the story:

"Benedict understands his mission as custodian of the faith," said the Rev. Robert Gahl, an Opus Dei priest and professor of moral theology at Rome's Pontifical Holy Cross University. "The pope has little interest in opinion polling and focus groups. He is not going to adjust the doctrine according to popular opinion or majority belief. Benedict's aim is to unite the church around the faith handed down by Jesus, the church's founder."