I am no expert on any pope.

I am a 28 year old Roman Catholic. I am a theology student who is in an ecumenical marriage. I currently attend an Evangelical Covenant Church with my wife but I also go to mass during the week. I grew up during the years of John Paul II. He is the only pope that I knew. Any other pope, be he John XXIII who convened the Second Vatican Council or Paul VI who presided over its completion, is but a name in a history book.

Like I said, I am no expert on any pope. And it must be remembered that any perspective of the current pope often falls on generational lines, among other boundaries. If you follow the demographic trends, we in the younger generation of Catholics are said to be more conservative than our elders. And that indeed may be true. At least as far as the old labels of liberal and conservative go. Although often progressive, I consider these labels within the Church to be helpful only at times. More often than not, I think they mask the complexity of who we really are and what we believe. And they add to the problems that we already have.

Since I’m no expert it is with some reserve that I write about Pope Benedict XVI as he visits the U.S. But I happen to like him. I am proud that his first two encyclicals, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love) and Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope) dealt with two nurturing foundations of the faith. This pastoral sensitivity reminded that this is the man who, when elected as the new pontiff in 2005, was overwhelmed by the magnitude and responsibilities of such a position. I may not agree with much of his agenda for the institutional Church. But I think that down the road the historians will see him as a highly adept pastor and spiritual leader of global Catholicism. I think he understands the ambiguities and complexities of our time more than he is given credit. Especially in Western societies.

Pope Benedict XVI, formerly known as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, is an enigmatic figure. By trade and demeanor he is a professor. He is not an extrovert who loves crowds and grand gestures like John Paul II. Instead, he is known for being thoughtful and introspective. And he is well-known in the Catholic theological world for his role as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) from 1982-2005.

For the many of us who don’t know, the CDF is the official office at the Vatican that is responsible for the integrity of Church doctrine. In other words, it is the “watchdog” that keeps an eye on Catholic theology being done around the world. And it is in this position that Ratzinger has given many headaches to progressives within the Church. Because under his guidance the CDF continued to take a traditionalist stance in preserving the faith.

For example, during his tenure the CDF staunchly defended traditional Catholic teaching on birth control, homosexuality and women’s ordination. Also, the CDF censured, admonished and sometimes suspended Latin American liberation theologians due to their relationship with Marxist schools of thought. Many saw him as no friend to movements for justice around the world. To say the least, this made him somewhat of a polarizing figure.

But as pope he has been much more pastoral. And I think he has surprised both his critics and his admirers. Theologically, he has focused on the divine hope and love revealed in Jesus Christ and its relevance for our daily lives and struggles. On social issues he has condemned the Iraq war and the consumerist culture that accompanies capitalism. He also has shown a desire to pursue interreligious dialogue, even if sometimes clumsily. There is much more that he could do. Especially regarding the evil of childhood sexual abuse in the U.S. Church. But I think that Benedict has more to offer the Church than many think.

His visit this week to the U.S. is expected to be pastoral and hopeful. Many Catholics of all persuasions are curious to learn more about the man and will closely watch his movements and listen to his words as he tours Washington, DC and New York City. In DC he will speak about Catholic higher education, hold an interreligious gathering and hold mass at the National’s stadium. In NYC he will address the United Nations, hold a youth rally, visit Ground Zero and hold mass in Yankee Stadium. And he plans on speaking to President Bush about migrants, human rights, religious tolerance and violent extremism. None of these may be controversial. But they’re not insignificant either.

After this week perhaps we’ll know more about him. And perhaps we’ll see him as a three dimensional human being rather than a conservative attack dog. And that goes both ways. For, as I remember, there were many who blindly decried the election of Ratzinger. And there were many who blindly praised it.

Both, I think, gave a knee-jerk reaction. They couldn’t see beyond politics. They couldn’t see that even if he was neither as great nor as abominable as they had thought, he still could be a good pastor for the global Church. And the right pastor for this particular moment in time when an old order continues to pass away and the new one is still unclear.

I am no expert on popes. And I often disagree with Pope Benedict XVI. But as I welcome him to the U.S. I see him as a pastor, a spiritual leader and as a real human being. And I think that all of us U.S. Catholics could benefit from doing likewise.

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Kevin Considine has an M.A. from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, the largest Roman Catholic school of theology and ministry in North America. He is pursuing Ph.D. studies in Theology and hopes to become a scholar/professor. He is married to a most wonderful woman who keeps him in line and makes sure his thoughts make sense. He and his wife live on the South Side of Chicago. He welcomes comments, feedback or fits of anger and can be reached at {email considkp@yahoo.com}considkp@yahoo.com{/email}. © copyright 2008 by Kevin Considine