HONG KONG — Until three years ago, you had a well-earned reputation as the fierce watchdog of the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. You were nicknamed "God's Rottweiler."
That did not seem to worry you, and you applied your formidable intellect and your considerable power to sanctioning theologians who offended. But now you are pope, the Chief Shepherd, who should remember the model of the Good Shepherd in cherishing and rescuing errant and weak sheep. Christmas is a good time to reflect.
Remember a chilly night more than 2,000 years ago: a pregnant mother trekking from inn to inn could not find a place to rest, so she had to settle for an outhouse or stable, where her son was delivered amid the cattle. It was an unpromising beginning, and the boy was to meet an ignominious end three decades later, crucified as a common criminal.