What the Pope [Did Not] Accomplished

With Benedict XVI's trip to the U.S. completed, a number of media outlets are running fluff stories like this one in Newsweek about "what the Pope accomplished." In my cynical view, other than receiving brown nosing from disingenous wingnut politicians (e.g., think of the Chimperator) and tossing out insincere apologies for the massive sex abbuse scandal within the American Catholic Church, Benedict XVI accomplished nothing of substance. Yes, he received cheers from choreographed crowds Catholic school children - who are still not adequately protected from predators within the Church - and aging nuns and employees of Catholic Schools. And he proved that there are still many Kool-Aid drinkers in the Church who refuse to see the Church hierarchy for the bunch of pompous, insincere phonies that they are. But nothing of true importance has changed. No thorough house cleaning of bishops and cardinals who covered up sex abuse was promised nor was any promise made that the Church would stop opposing legitimate claims by abuse victims and engaging in legal manuevers worthy of Maifia Dons. As the saying goes, talk is cheap and all Benedict XVI did was talk. No action. Here are a few highlights:

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"I will do all possible to be a real successor to Peter, who also was a man with all his faults and sins but who remains finally the rock for the church," the pontiff said in his thick German accent, speaking slowly and deliberately. The moment seemed to catch everyone off guard, including the row of journalists seated next to the altar.

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The words were an addendum to the pontiff's homily, in which for the fifth time during his five-day tour of America Benedict addressed the issue most prominent during his trip: the sexual abuse scandals that shook the American church six years ago and have cost it more than $2 billion in settlements, not to mention moral authority in the minds of many.

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But even if Benedict's messages were well received, the fruits of his work in America won't be seen overnight. (Victims of pedophile priests, in particular, are waiting to see if there are changes in church law that deal more harshly with abusive priests and the bishops who may have covered up for them.)