Despite the pivotal role he played in Vatican II, Benedict XVI has spent the rest of his career, particularly his emeritus papacy, distancing himself from it.
By dragging Benedict into schemes like Cardinal Sarah’s book about celibacy, the anti-Francis faction reveals deep flaws in the current emeritus papacy.
Interreligious-dialogue initiatives like KAICIID should be welcome in Europe. Austria should find a better way to protest Saudi Arabia’s human-rights policies.
In 2003, Pope John Paul II sent an envoy to persuade George W. Bush not to invade Iraq. As tensions with Iran continue to mount, it’s a story worth revisiting.