Pope Benedict - Exceeding Expectations

Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States during the later part of the week and over the weekend. I have never been impressed with "spectacular events" because they are often so over publicized and promoted that by the time they happen the reaction is "why?".

Americans love the theatrical and so this even makes things worse, and often have very HIGH EXPECTATIONS that are difficult to achieve.

Pope Benedict was the surprising exception. He never promised anything and delivered a very inspiriting result. In fact, many Americans, including me, wondered why he was coming in the first place. Let me outline why I am so impressed with his visit and its potential positive results on the American Catholic Church and maybe society in general:

• First of all, he was willing to confront one of the greatest scandals and embarrassment in the recent history of the Catholic Church...the pedophile scandal. He didn't hesitate to confront and even say he was scandalized and that it was MANAGED badly by the American Hierarchy. Which is true...some of the American Cardinals and Bishops should have been removed from their leadership positions for their inability to admit mistakes and then to try and hide the reality, which has spanned many decades.


• Second, the Pope met with some victims of the scandal...this was a sign of REAL leadership and especially for someone who could have avoided the embarrassment of such an event.
  
• Third, he went and participated in a Jewish celebration, a clear sign of reaching out.
• Fourth, he invited the youth to become more involved. His visit to St. Joseph's Seminary and the over 25,000 enthusiastic youth was inspiring, especially when you could see so many young women in religious habits and young men in "roman collars". ( I believe that one of the reasons for the lack of vocations is that American women's religious orders stopped wearing their habits and many priests stopped wearing the roman collar, and so became part of the crowd and not different from the crowd. It is like the military when soldiers wear civilian clothes, they stop being soldiers and just become like every one else).


• Fifth, the Pope, is multi-lingual, included a Spanish element to his homily and made it clear that the Latino/ Hispanic population is a key element of the religion in the United States and will continue to increase their leadership in the church
  

In short, Pope Benedict, did what all leaders should do: NOT OVER PROMISE and EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS. I think this is the model of JESUS CHRIST... Pope Benedict, like his predecessor, John Paul II, is a clear strategic leader in his own right and built on his own unique talents.

Pope Benedict has said on many occasions he was not John Paul II is not trying to emulate him, but be himself. This visit demonstrated he was truly his own man and demonstrated that he too, like his predecessor, is the RIGHT LEADER FOR THE RIGHT TIME.

Since I am an enthusiastic Roman Catholic, it just demonstrates to me that the Holy Spirit has again enabled the Church to have the right leader for this time of crisis. Benedict is what I describe in my book, (Risktaker, Caretaker, Surgeon, Undertaker- the four faces of strategic leadership), a missionary, risk taker.

I wish him well and congratulate him on his ability to stimulate and challenge the American Catholics and the church. I wsh him a long and productive life.

Bill Rothschild, author of Risktaker, Caretaker, Surgeon, Undertaker- four faces of strategic leadership.