Holy War Of Words

SUSANA VERA / REUTERS (LEFT); CHRIS HELGREN / REUTERS

GREAT DIVIDE: Zapatero's reforms clash with the values the Pope is fighting to save

The signature sound bite of Benedict XVI's papacy may have been delivered the day before he became Pope. Just hours before entering the Sistine Chapel to help choose John Paul II's successor, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger gave an impassioned sermon in which he decried the "dictatorship of relativism." The conservative German theologian used the phrase to warn against modernity's creation of a secular ideology "that does not recognize anything as definitive, and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's ego and desires." The "dictatorship of relativism" quote has become a rallying cry for some Roman Catholic conservatives, especially those dismayed by...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!