Pope Benedict XVI--His own writing man!

An interesting human-interest story from the AP regarding who writes the new pope's speeches.

THe Pope himself!

I'm impressed whenever I hear that prominent world leaders write their own speeches. The writer in me is fascinated by the concept. It's not as if these people have all day to hammer out the perfect rhetoric. Benedict XVI, however, has managed just that so far. Consider this example from his cardinal days:

The words of one of the prayers he penned floated on a sea of metaphors drawn from everyday life: "Lord, your church often seems like a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side. In your field we see more weeds than wheat. The soiled garments and face of your church throw us into confusion."

Rev. Vincent Twomey of the Pontifical University notes the bardic skill of the current Pontiff:

Twomey said that a Ratzinger lecture stood out for "its clarity, its logical progression and the quality of its expression."

"When he speaks, the Germans have a word for it - `Druckreif' - it's ready for publication," he said.

Twomey said it wasn't surprising Benedict would write his own speeches.

"He's an original thinker. He's not dependent on other people's thoughts,"