In a speech last week, Pope Benedict xvi re-emphasized his conservative stance by telling Roman Catholic priests to hold on to traditional Catholic doctrine and to not water it down. In an address extolling the virtues of Cyril of Alexandria, the pope said that church leaders had a great responsibility to “protect the faith of the people of God.”

“[A]nyone who disturbs the least of those who believe in Christ will suffer unbearable punishment,” he added.

Reacting to a society dominated by social relativism and compromise, the pope is reiterating that bishops and priests should ensure they do not soften their teachings to appease modern church-goers; Catholic teaching must be strong, traditional and conservative.

Ratzinger has always been and continues to be a conservative Catholic, in spite of the hopes of more liberal members that becoming pope would convince him to moderate his views.

“Here is a pope who has clearly mounted his crusading white horse and is wading into battle, resuming the fight against liberalism that he waged as the enforcer of church doctrine in his previous office,” theTumpet.com wrote earlier this year.

In recent months, the pope has called Sunday worship a necessity; reiterated an earlier proclamation that Protestant churches are not really churches, and reinforced the use of the traditional Latin mass. This latest statement shows his determination to continue to drive the Catholic Church toward a more conservative stance—a trend we should watch in a world increasingly charged with religious tensions.