Bonus Papal Posting

Jack Miles, author of two excellent works I own (Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God, God: A Biography), echoes some of the concerns of Andrew Sullivan regarding Benedict XVI (although in a much less hysterical tone). Both Sullivan and Miles make reference to a vision (one they clearly don't agree with) of a Church that is smaller, but more orthodox in its beliefs, if you will. The questions before the court (of public opinion) are:

1. Is a Catholic Church that is smaller, but more traditional, necessarily a bad thing?, and
2. Is there a point at which 'reforms' of the Church make it unrecognizable as a moral authority, in contrast to 'the authority of the masses' posited by Miles?
   

Interesting food for thought...I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to delve deeper into these matters...