Benedict XVI tougher on abusers than John Paul II: New York Times columnist

April 12, 2010

The world wants to see a Pope who will take aggressive action against priests who molest young people, says Ross Douthat. And Pope Benedict XVI did exactly that, the New York Times columnist notes, when he pressed the case against the late Father Marcial Maciel, the influential founder of the Legion of Christ. By comparison, Douthat notes, the highly popular Pope John Paul II was regrettably supportive of Maciel. He says: "The last pope was a great man, but he was also a weak administrator, a poor delegator, and sometimes a dreadful judge of character."

 

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Further information:

• The Better Pope (New York Times)