Whatever one thinks of Timothy George, the papacy, Benedict XVI, the Roman Catholic Church, or Evangelicals and Catholic Together, it makes about as much sense to say that it doesn't matter who sits in the chair of St. Peter as it does to say it doesn't matter who the President of the People's Republic of China is, or the Chairman of North Korea. The U.S.S.R. was an evil empire, guided by an evil ideology, and ruled by evil men; but it would be the height of absurdity to say (as some do) that there are no significant differences (i.e., differences that make a difference in the lives of people of nations) between Stalin and Gorbachev, or between Lenin and Kruschev.
While I pray for a pope who will come to see the errors of Roman Catholicism and embrace the doctrines of sola scriptura and justification by faith alone (among many. many others), when/if that happens he will cease to be the pope, and the RCC will cease to exist as well. Until that happens I will judge popes by how much worse they could be. Imagine what the world would be like today if the last pope had been or the present pope was a Catholic liberal or modernist who leaned more towards the views of Karl Rahner, Hans Kung, or Rosemary Radford Ruether. Imagine the impact upon the world and upon Christendom of a pope who was not pro-life, not pro-family/marriage, or not anti-liberation theology. Doesn't make any difference you say? Get real!

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