For non-supporters of religion, Ratzinger is just another ridiculous, unknowing pretender; a fluffy, iconic god-placebo. What he 'believes', out of a multiplicty of factless religious notions, is of little consequence to anybody except terrified Catholics in real terms.

Let the religious get on with it - gods or no gods. They don't know and neither do I. But under no circumstances allow them to insist upon or generalise over social or political policies affecting us all and based on what they have variously dreamed-up.

Ratzinger wants rational secularism to approach the concerns of the religious, but he also sees it as a fight and wants its effects lessened. It's a one-way recipe; one in which only religionists have an interest.

I despair that we will ever escape from the dangerous, hairbrained, supernatural notions, which actually involve power over others and wealth retention, dreamed up by these judgmental charlatans who claim to know, mystically, more about our origins and destiny than others. We should concentrate more on 'being' in this life than 'wishing' for Utopia in another, in my view.

James, What a marvellous way of screaming your difference! Much like advanced received pronunciation, rap or Estuary.

Faith is an invention, as is the law and say the notion of royalty, and should be viewed as such.