Weigel: Pope posed tough questions that the world must answer

...there is the precision of [the Pope's] mind: I have often described Benedict as one of those rare men who, when asked a question, pauses, reflects — and then answers in complete paragraphs.
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[Pope] Benedict XVI says precisely what he means and means exactly what he says. So what exactly was the pope saying, and why did he say it?
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Why would the pope raise these volatile questions, and in an academic lecture that he surely knew would be reduced to sound bites that distorted his meaning? I think that Benedict knew precisely the risks he was taking and thought the risks worthwhile. Why?

A good article.