Joseph Ratzinger named new pope-- Benedict XVI

[scaeagles]

I am not a Catholic, so perhaps I am not understanding.

If you are a member of the Catholic church, does not the Pope have pretty much the final say on church doctrine? Church doctrine has not changed much recently, if I recall correctly. So a Pope who wishes to keep the church teaching constant is a bad thing? I have never understood (again, not being a Catholic) the calls for liberalizing or modernizing church teachings to "keep up with society" or some such thing. It would seem that church teachings should remain constant regardless of the direction society moves.

Am I missing something?