[american colleen]

Among the progressive and/or liberal Catholics the mantra is 'he campaigned for a long time and called in his chits' -- I live in Massachusetts and so just about every radio talk show has someone from Boston College --- primarily Thomas Groome --- projecting their own sin tinged, personally uninformed (as in, they weren't there) and often addled thoughts on this subject. They sound intelligent (and in the case of Thomas Groome, the lilting brogue is sweet, charming and comforting) and knowledgeable and aware that the masses are intellectually lazy and poorly catechized.

If there wasn't so much evidence to the contrary one could, if one wasn't inclined to look at facts or evidence, be swept up in the projections and wishes of the uninformed.

It's also difficult to attribute characteristics which you don't have yourself (and therefore, are suspect or unknown to you) onto other people.

[Carolina]

In this photo made available by the Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI, center, greets Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill, left, a senior representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, during a meeting in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican, Monday, April 25, 2005. Benedict told ecumenical leaders on Monday that he fully supported the need to work toward uniting Christians divided by schism. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano)

[Miss Marple]

I am watching a replay of a discussion between Cardinal Pell of Australia and Raymond Arroyo. Pell is doing a great job of speaking of the Pope's good character and faith, says he thinks he is the best man for the job, and speaks with disdain about "incluseness to the point that one communion had an official who didn't believe in God."

Pell is quite impressive.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

---It's also difficult to attribute characteristics which you don't have yourself (and therefore, are suspect or unknown to you) onto other people.---

Tells you a lot about the complainers and accusers!