Pope Benedict XVI: What's He Doing?

I was amazed at the many different things the Pope is involved in when I entered "Pope Benedict" into Google's News search engine. Here are some of the topics showing what he has said and done just in the past few days.

1. Evangelization is a means to restore a tired society--his address to Japanese Bishops during their ad limina visit.
   
2. Nuclear- arms proliferation, environmental pollution and economic inequality are threats to world peace - but so are abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage--his address for January 1 World Day of Peace.
3. Consumerism and materialism leads to the victimization of children through sexual abuse and prostitution.
4. Christians "must preserve" the spiritual heritage of the decorated tree and Christmas creche.
5. University students must uphold the faith in a European culture whose thoughts have been "disengaged from God", an address to Rome's university students. [Curmudgeon references a sad article on Italian culture.]
   
6. Cancelled a meeting with the Dalai Lama, reportedly to facilitate the ordination of a new Papally approved bishop in Guangdong, southern China.
7. Papal travel confirmed to the U.S, France, and Australia in 2008.
   
8. Emphasized the importance of education and the need for negotiated settlement of international disputes, in a December 13 meeting with 7 new ambassadors to the Holy See.
9. Supported Jorge Cardinal Urosa Savino, showing Pope's solidarity in the face of the attacks the Venezuelan Catholic leader suffered recently.

Not too bad for a week's worth of work from an 80-year old Pontiff. So what does the opposition say? [Only read this if you can stand the venomous language that shows how much St. Peter's successor is hated--a good thing! I've linked the associated websites for documentation, but please spare yourself the hateful harangues and your own extreme righteous indignation.]

1. "The Pope Sucks"
2. "A hate-mongering bigot"
   
3. Homosexuals "hold their nose[s] in disgust" at the Pope claiming gay families are a threat.
   
4. The Muslims are worried because the Pope wants to evangelize those not yet Christian
   
5. "Nothing but a vile, cruel and nasty bunch of bigots who wouldn't recognise Jesus Christ if they tried." See Roberto's comments at Pink News.
6. "Darth Ratzinger strikes another blow for the forces of darkness and evil."
7. "Infallible Pope Benedict Releases Bigoted Encyclical Vilifying Atheism."