Like John Paul II before him...

Benedict XVI knows how to pope.

I'd be thrilled if, unlike his beloved predecessor, Pope Benedict vowed to travel nowhere and just write encyclicals for the next decade.

"The least-travelled pope in history" has a charming ring to it. The Holy See would save on jet fuel and entourage airline tickets, and just funnel all related travel cash into resolving American Catholic lawsuits -- then all of us could feast our eyes, minds, and hearts upon a world-class exposition of Christian teaching.

I like it.