Vatican, Apr. 27 (CWNews.com) - The work of Pope Benedict XVI as a theologian should not be judged exclusively by his record as prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. That was the message of Cardinal George Cottier, the theologian of the pontifical household, in an interview with the French weekly Famille Chretienne .

Cardinal Cottier observed that when he came to the Vatican in 1981, Cardinal Ratzinger was given the special task of preserving the integrity of Catholic doctrine, by guarding against deviations from orthodox teaching. The major statements released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during his tenure should all be seen in this light, the Swiss cardinal argued; they are efforts to illustrate the shortcomings of particular strains of theological thought. Cardinal Cottier mentioned Dominus Iesus (doc) as a particularly clear example of this type of document.

However, the cardinal continued, the reason for protecting orthodoxy is to ensure that the Catholic faith is taught and passed on faithfully. So the task performed by Cardinal Ratzinger should be understood as a form of evangelization, insofar as it is ultimately concerned with the proper understanding and teaching of the faith.

The Swiss theologian-- who was raised to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II (bio - news) after years of service as theologian-- argued that it was remarkable that Cardinal Ratzinger continued to publish theological works in his own name despite the press of responsibilities in his post at the Vatican. And the scope of the German prelate's own work illustrates the breadth of his interests, touching on the interpretation of the Scriptures, the role of the Virgin Mary, the Eucharist, ecumenism, and liturgy.

One very public demonstration of the depth of thought of the man who is now Pope Benedict XVI was provided during the Stations of the Cross at the Roman Coliseum on Good Friday, Cardinal Cottier said. Although the meditations that Cardinal Ratzinger offered on that occasion were widely interpreted as pessimistic, Cardinal Cottier defended the tone of the text. "It was the Way of the Cross, for a ceremony on Good Friday, at which the Pope was too sick to participate," he recalled. "This was not the time for a joyful text!"

Looking back over Pope Benedict's record as a theologian, Cardinal Cottier mentioned his role in the Second Vatican Council, as an adviser to Cardinal Frings of Cologne. His most important influence, Cardinal Cottier said, was on the first document approved by the Council, Dei Verbum (doc) . The more conservative prelates of the preparatory committee had produced a cautious draft, which emphasized the importance of Tradition, in a document designed to counteract Protestant claims that only the Bible is authoritative. Cardinal Frings-- with the help of the young Father Ratzinger-- was prominent among the prelates who fought for a more positive document, in which Scripture and Tradition are seen as dual sources of the Christian tradition, inseparable in that both offer the Church the authoritative Word of God.

As a theologian, Cardinal Cottier continued, the current Pope should not be classified as "conservative" in any ordinary sense. "Actually he is quite attentive to the movements of today," he said. "He is strongly of the opinion that men's lives are guided by Providence, and therefore that a theologian ought to question history-- what Vatican II called 'the signs of the times.'"