Pope John Paul II is widely credited with having made a substantial contribution to the ultimate fall of the Soviet Union. Will Benedict XVI contribute as much to the fall of radical Islam?

One does not fight a religion with guns (at least not only with guns) but with love, although sometimes it is sadly necessary to love one's enemies only after they are dead. The Church has lacked both the will to evangelize Muslims as well as the missionaries to undertake the task. Benedict XVI, the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, has thought about the conversion of the Muslims for years, as I reported just before his election in 2005 (The crescent and the conclave, Asia Times Online, April 19, 2005). Where will the Pope find the sandals on the ground in this new religious war? From the ranks of the Muslims themselves, evidently. Magdi Allam is just one convert, but he has a big voice. If the Church fights for the safety of converts, they will emerge from the nooks and crannies of Muslim communities in Europe.

The papacy has an uneven record risking its collective neck defending faith against modern opponents. That said, it's sometimes worth remembering just how risky John Paul's stance against communism really was in the mid-70s. Will Benedict risk a car bomb in St. Peter's during Easter to take on the West's most dangerous existing threat? I can only hope he's up to the task.

In my own opinion, the world could do a lot worse than adopting a religion that learned how to cope with the modern world long ago.

Via Instapundit.