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	Benedict XVI Makes Own Mark Today's Topic: the Shadow of John Paul II By Rachel Zoll The Associated Press, carried in Lexington Herald-Leader [Vatican City] May 20, 2006 http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/14626201.htm Even as he was dogged by claims of sexual abuse, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ religious order remained a favorite of Pope John Paul II. Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI showed a bold willingness to correct his beloved predecessor by disciplining the Mexican priest. It's the latest move by Benedict away from John Paul's legacy. "Benedict was certainly a big fan of John Paul's and probably even considers him a saint, but saints aren't perfect," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, former editor of the Jesuit magazine America and an expert on the Vatican. "Benedict is acknowledging this and correcting some of the things he thinks John Paul did wrong." The case against the Rev. Marcial Maciel had been building for years, with no official response from Vatican leaders. Nine former seminarians first accused him in 1996 of having abused them when they were boys or teenagers during the 1940s to 1960s. Later, other alleged victims came forward. The order's success recruiting candidates for the priesthood and its loyalty to Roman Catholic teaching and the pope made the Mexican founder a hero to many traditional Catholics. In January 2005, John Paul hailed Maciel for his "paternal affection and his experience." These ties make the sanction of Maciel even more remarkable. "If he (Benedict) has to do something to defend the ordinary faithful, even if it means a difficult choice like this one, he'll do it," said the Rev. Joseph Fessio, a conservative Jesuit who has known Benedict since the 1970s. "He will listen very carefully to all sides and when he thinks there's a need for something to be done and he does it." Jason Berry, co-author of the book Vows of Silence, which chronicles the Vatican response to Maciel's accusers, was more blunt. "This never would have happened under John Paul," Berry said. "Benedict pulled the cover off of the scandal." The pope has made other changes that highlight his differences with John Paul. Benedict recently insisted on strict adherence to rules for naming saints, which will inevitably slow the process of canonization. By contrast, John Paul named an unprecedented number of saints during his 26-year papacy. Benedict has also cracked down on another movement that John Paul admired -- the Neocatechumenal Way. The pope said the group had to change its innovative practices to celebrate Mass and take Holy Communion the same way other Catholics do. The Rev. Anthony J. Figueiredo, a theology professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey who has served as an aide to John Paul and Benedict, views these actions as part of the pope's fight to strengthen the church in the face of growing secularism, especially in Europe. By directly addressing wrongdoing, Benedict can enhance Catholicism's appeal, Figueiredo said. "This Holy Father really sees that the church is under a great struggle, under a real battle," Figueiredo said. "When the vine is pruned, in fact it bears more fruit." There were early signs that Benedict would aggressively take on transgressors among the faithful. Just before he became pope, he decried "filth" in the church -- a statement largely taken as a reference to the clergy sex abuse crisis. Still, when the cardinals elected Benedict in April 2005, many observers interpreted the vote as a desire for continuity. Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, had served for more than two decades under the late pontiff as the Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog and had enormous influence in the church. But Reese said, "Benedict is not a clone of John Paul." "When he was Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict didn't shy away from taking people on even if it meant bad press," said Reese, who resigned as America editor under pressure from Ratzinger. "He does what he thinks is right."
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