Welcome to you both. John-Peter Pham, what do you expect now in the way of changes, if any, from Pope Benedict?
Dr. JOHN PETER PHAM (Professor, James Madison University): Well, the conventional analysis is there is going to be a great deal of continuity. Joseph Ratzinger was John Paul II's closest theological collaborator. John Paul referred to him by name in his most recent book as "my trusted friend." On the other hand, I think there is going to be a change in style, and that's to be expected. Every pope reinvents himself upon election and in a way reinvents the papacy, and that's part of the genius of the institution. So, I think there's going to be a shift in emphasis. Benedict's career up to date and his writings -- even a few days before the late pope's death he gave a conference, interestingly enough, at Subiaco, Benedict the abbot's first monastery. And, there he gave a conference which was very pessimistic about the future of Christianity, in fact of religiosity in Europe, and [he] places emphasis on this civilizational aspect, where John Paul was very much open and engaging of the world. So, there's going to be a change in style. A lot of the substance will remain the same, but this happens.ABERNETHY: And, David Gibson, what do you foresee?
DAVID GIBSON (Author, "The Coming Catholic Church"): Yes, I absolutely think there will be a change in style that goes in two directions. I think, obviously, Benedict XVI will be different from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. That's simply the way it works. He had the worst job in Christendom, you might say, for 24 years, and, he has this long paper trail and video trail of regular interviews he gave. He's been defined by that job so much -- "God's Rottweiler" people called him quite often as the theological enforcer. Now he's the supreme pastor, and you've already seen a more, I think, softer tone. It's just natural. There's a redefining going on that comes with this job. But, it's also very much of a different style, even if he is perhaps softening his image or trying to redefine himself. He's also much different from the man he succeeded. He's much different from John Paul II. So there's a lower, I think, energy and in some ways a lower profile -- celebrity profile -- but maybe a higher focus on some of the ideas that John-Peter mentioned.KIM LAWTON: Well, John-Peter, how do you expect that to play out practically for people in the pews, if there's this difference in style? Will people -- Catholics in the pews -- feel that?
Dr. PHAM: Well, I think so. I think they're -- but it remains to be seen how they relate to the new Pope Benedict XVI. There was the sense of John Paul being media savvy and using his travels as well as the media to -- and we saw this at his funeral -- the outpouring of grief from very ordinary people who felt a direct relationship to him. It remains to be seen how that relationship continues or changes with the new pope, and his relations with them. On specific issues, I think the new pope has in the past spoken of a need for perhaps a stricter adherence to doctrine, to tradition, and [that] perhaps it's better to have a smaller community of more faithful Catholics than a broad Church that encompasses many individuals who perhaps are not willing to ascribe or cannot ascribe or adhere to the full range of standards and teachings.
LAWTON: John-Peter, what did now Pope Benedict mean when he talked about this "dictatorship of relativism" that David referred to?
ABERNETHY: But David Gibson, would you expect for Americans, especially American women, who very much wanted -- many of them very much wanted to see changes in some of the social teachings. They cannot look forward to that? Would that be your judgment?
