The Holy Father's Title Drop
John L. Allen Jr., from The pope’s 'Patriarch’ puzzle:

Benedict’s decision to drop the title — and the way he did it — thus illustrates an important key to unlocking his mind: On matters of faith and morals, he will brook no compromise; but on everything else, including a wide range of judgment calls that don’t have clear answers in the catechism of the Catholic Church, he will be a surprisingly moderate and reconciling figure. He dropped the “patriarch” title because it could create ambiguity about the authority of the papacy, which Benedict believes comes from Christ and must be defended.

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