Pope Benedict XVI has been leading the Catholic Church for nearly a year.

The Pope, who was once called "God's Rottweiler," has surprised many of his critics. Until Joseph Ratzinger was elected as head of the Roman Catholic Church, he was its chief doctrinal enforcer, and many predicted the German cardinal would bring his strict style to the papacy. That has not happened.

“He has surprised people,” Vatican analyst Gerard O’Donnel said. “He hasn't crashed down on the more progressive elements of the church. He hasn't fulfilled the wishes of the more traditional wings."

Benedict has only replaced two senior members in the vast Vatican government known as the Roman Curia. In some ways he's following in the steps of his predecessor although without ever trying to become another John Paul II.

More reserved and less camera friendly, Benedict reaffirmed the church's strong opposition to abortion, gay marriages and euthanasia. He approved a document barring men with what the church calls “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” from becoming priests.

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	Benedict's year Pope Benedict will soon celebrate his first year as pope.

But most importantly perhaps, cardinals who met him during a recent meeting, say the new Pope is giving them greater opportunities to speak their minds.

“He listened to everything everybody said, and he didn't speak. He just waited, and then at the end, he took his glasses off and in a masterful way he reviewed everything that was said in the whole day. Even saying cardinal so and so said this, remembering everything and summarized and gave us some guidelines as to where he might be going and some guidelines as to where he might not be going. He did it as a teacher. He did it as a brilliant professor,” said Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, of the Washington Diocese.

That demeanor appears to delight the faithful who have flocked to the Vatican in record numbers this year. In the first eight months of his pontificate, Pope Benedict drew nearly three million pilgrims to public events.

The Tassitore family from Chicago spent three hours in line, Sunday, to get a front row seat.

“I would describe him as friendly,” said Jeff Tassitore. “To me, I look at the other pope and I think of a more of an older person, more introverts, less open; but just being here today and witnessing this and seeing how he approached the people, I think he is very warm and then again inviting."

For those pilgrims who can't travel to Rome, the pope may soon visit their part of the world. Although Benedict is not billed as much of a traveler, he has again surprised many by planning at least four trips abroad this year. Poland, Spain, Germany and Turkey are on his itinerary.