Not berating him, but misunderestimating him.
"Yes, Pope Benedict is old and scholastic; he lacks both the smile and tact of the late Pope John Paul II, who surely would not have turned for elucidation to the rigidity of Byzantine scholarship. But isn’t that why we must come to the present Pope’s defense — if for no reason other than because he has the courage to speak his convictions when others might not?"
Also, he numbers the Pope with second rate artists and cartoonists, etc.
Sure, he recognizes the Pope's bravery in speaking out. But I think he underestimates his diplomatic intelligence. The Pope didn't say that by accident; he did it on purpose, for very good reasons, to start a dialogue on the problems of rationality without religion and religion without rationality. It has done a great deal to clarify the issues and put it to the Muslims in a way they have found very hard to deal with.
Can't disagree with that!