AP Photo

Much of Benedict XVI's papacy necessarily consisted of damage control, most notably relating to the widening scandals relating to child molestation. But beyond the many crises he faced, Benedict's legacy deserves to be measured against the goals that he chose to devote himself to as leader of the Catholic Church. Indeed, the manner in which he attempted to pursue one of his central ambitions—the re-evangelization of Europe—sheds revealing light on Benedict's other missteps and failures.