I don't think this Pope will be told to soften, or re-build his rhetoric, or the way he expresses himself (in terms of possibly simplifying the message) for the sake of coming across better in the news.
I think he'd rather stand insulted and critized than selling out or reducing himself to adapt some kind of dictation that would suit the press.
Nor do I think anyone could dare tell him what to say or write! He's been his own master since he began to write and preach, and although he used to try out his lectures on his sister to see how they 'played' with her, I don't think even brother Georg would think of telling him now what he ought to say or how he ought to say it.
Because the question has never been what he says, but the PR or PC ('public relations' and 'political correctness' are near synonymous these days) implications of his statements - important to consider only because perceptions rather than fact shape public opinion. Some of these implications are clearly foreseeable and even pre-emptable if he had a supportive and enterprising team with simple common sense to backstop him. But outside of Cardinal Levada's prompt and detailed response about the Murphy case in Wisconsin, and Cardinal Sodano's Easter Sunday tribute (even if it bommeranged), no one in the Curia has shown any such gumption.
I don't know what's wrong with Cardinal Bertone but he just is nowhere to be found when someone needs to stand up for the Holy Father. You'd think that if the Pope writes a letter praising your service in glowing terms (though undeserved from the point of view of Bertone's consistent non-performance in times of crisis), that ought to spur you to prove yourself worthy of such praise, but so far, niente, nada, zero, zilch from Bertone....
TERESA
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 24/08/2010 03:49]