...Insights From Father Fessio, a Former Student...Father Fessio agrees that these have been factors, "[b]ut the largest factor is that the secular media and dissenting Catholics will always project a negative image of anyone who upholds the teaching of the Catholic Church on the controversial, neuralgic issues of our time. Most are related to gender: contraception, abortion, homosexuality, ordination of women, married priests."

SAN FRANCISCO, California - While many Americans have a new take on the personality of Benedict XVI after his U.S. trip, Father Joseph Fessio says the Pope revealed nothing new.

Father Fessio, 69, a Jesuit who was a student under then Father Joseph Ratzinger in Regensburg, Germany, in the 1970s, spoke with ZENIT about the Holy Father's personality traits, which many say they first saw when the Pontiff arrived in Washington, D.C., and New York.

The traits the Pontiff revealed while in the U.S., Father Fessio said, were best summed up by journalist John Allen before the Mass at Yankee Stadium. Allen spoke of the Pope's kindness and candor.

"Most people already knew [Benedict XVI] is extremely intelligent and articulate. Many weren't aware of the personal warmth, what in Bavaria they call 'Gemütlichkeit,'" Father Fessio said.

The Jesuit, who is also the founder and editor in chief of Ignatius Press, the Pope's primary English-language publisher, explained that the Holy Father "is transparent, so what you see is who he is. His many concrete acts of thoughtfulness and generosity are unknown to most people, but would not be a surprise to those who have now had the chance to see and hear him."

There has been speculation that the Pope sometimes was negatively portrayed by the press simply because of his many years leading the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, coupled with his shyness.

Father Fessio agrees that these have been factors, "[b]ut the largest factor is that the secular media and dissenting Catholics will always project a negative image of anyone who upholds the teaching of the Catholic Church on the controversial, neuralgic issues of our time. Most are related to gender: contraception, abortion, homosexuality, ordination of women, married priests."

"Once the tide of enthusiasm recedes," the priest speculated, "the Holy Father will be portrayed as a hard-line conservative who is behind the times."

Guessing how the Pope felt about the trip, Father Fessio said: "He is so well informed that I doubt he was surprised by his reception. But I'm sure experiencing it in such a vital way over a period of days will make it a lasting memory for him."

On the Net:
Books by Benedict XVI at Ignatius Press: www.benedictxvibooks.com