Recent U.S. Trip Hints at Benedict's Softer Side

May 2, 2008 — -- After Pope Benedict XVI's wildly successful U.S. tour, many Catholics are rethinking their views of the leader. Even Vatican insiders are examining a new side of Benedict.

During his recent visit, Benedict showed a side the public had never seen before. He became the first pope to visit an American synagogue and noticeably doted on babies.

Most unexpectedly, Benedict repeatedly apologized for the priest sexual abuse scandal and even met with five of the victims in a private session.

"I think that people that were expecting him to be the disciplinarian that he had been before are very surprised," said the Rev. James Martin, associate editor of America Magazine. "I think this is the real Benedict."

He's been pontiff for three years, but for many Americans, Benedict was still best known as the pope who followed John Paul II. He seemed to be the very opposite of Paul, who was something of a rock star among Catholics and chipped away at the Iron Curtain and won over the hearts of Catholic youth with his very public warmth.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger -- as Benedict used to be known -- was considered to be a stern hard-liner. He served John Paul II as "defender of the faith," responsible for protecting Catholic orthodoxy, earning the nickname of "God's Rottweiler."

In the United States, Benedict is perhaps best remembered as the cardinal in charge of dealing with the church sex abuse scandal, who seemed at times to defend the priests accused of the wrongdoing.

Before he became pope, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became upset when ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross asked him a question in 2002 about the delay in pursuing sex abuse charges against a senior leader of the Catholic Church. He abruptly slapped the hand of Ross in response.

Controversy continued to follow him into his role as pope. In 2006, he set off a firestorm after making a speech in which he quoted a description of 14th century Islam as "evil." He later apologized but not before his effigy was burned in the streets in some Muslim countries.

But Benedict's first visit to the United States was one that portrayed him as cuddly and soft. This has led some to question whether the pope so many had written off as a tough guy is really a teddy bear in disguise. Experts said Benedict is actually a bit of both.

"I don't think you'll see a change in his theological worldview," said Martin. "I don't think you'll see a softening on his stance against women ordination, same-sex marriage, birth control. But I think you are seeing a different way of presenting the message."

Vatican insiders say that the pope has always had this gentler side -- he loves, for example, to play his upright piano, has a very close relationship with his elderly brother, goes for nature walks every single day precisely at 4:00 in the Vatican gardens. He just kept the gentleness hidden.

Now, however, the world stage has seen this warmer side. Many are watching and waiting, to see whether the soft side of the pope will emerge more frequently, particularly during his trip to Australia this summer -- now that he's seen how well it went over in the states.