Abbey-Roads2

Live Papal coverage.

Journalists and waiting crowds grew slightly impatient and wondered what took so long for the Holy Father to emerge from the plane after landing at Andrews AFB.  As I mentioned earlier, Holy Father had instructed Monsignor Ganswein to call me as soon as they landed, which he did, hence the delay in leaving the aircraft.   They were a little frustrated because I didn’t answer the phone at first - people who know me understand that.  Monsignor called back, and after his third attempt, I answered.

I explained I had been watching EWTN’s live coverage of the landing, and hadn’t realized he would be calling so quickly.  He laughed that characteristic Bavarian laugh and said Holy Father knew I wouldn’t answer right away and that he kept repeating, “Georg, keep calling until he answers!  I’m not getting off this plane until he answers the phone.”  (Isn’t that cute?)

What went on in the Papal plane?

Our conversation must remain private of course, but Monsignor told me I could repeat the following little anecdote.  Minutes before landing, the Pope asked Georg to get him another cocktail, but when Monsignor signaled the flight attendant to ask him, the attendant came over to him, and playfully slapping his arm said, “Listen Father, now’s not the time to be drinking!”  Giggling, the attendant sashayed  towards the front of the cabin for landing instructions.  We had a great laugh over that.

(This report was supposed to be posted on Abbey Roads 1.  I have so many blogs I can’t remember what goes where.) 

Today Pope Benedict will be here - in the United States!

See, I tried not to think about it much before this, and I pretended to be very cool about the whole thing, very non-chalant, you know.  “Yeah, so?  The pope is coming?  That’s fine.”  Yawn. 

BUT NO!  Not now!  He will be here today!  I spontaneously woke up during the night to pray for his visit!  And I’m so excited.  (He’s my dad!)

A tear… traces it down his cheek. 

[Photo:  The Holy Father leaving Rome.  Caption:  "Georg, call Terry as soon as we land at Andrews AFB."]

And not just in the Soviet Union.

Remember how the communists bulldozed churches in the former Soviet Union?  I just read a news report that little French churches may be getting the same treatment - mainly because they have no parishioners or financial support.  I just read the story here:

GESTE, France: Mayor Jean-Pierre Leger was married and baptized his children at Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens church in this village in western France. Not without sadness, he is now planning to bulldoze the 19th century building.

The dilemma of what to do with churches that have fallen out of favor — and into disrepair — is facing towns and villages across France and other European countries. Some communities have dynamited churches deemed too expensive to maintain. Others have taken a less radical approach, selling them as housing. - Read it here.

The Fall of Rome.

And Islam intends to rule - obviously - as this Hamas cleric predicts:

A sermon last Friday by a prominent Muslim cleric and Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament openly declared that “the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital,” would soon be conquered by Islam.

The fiery sermon, delivered by Yunis al-Astal and aired on Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV, predicted that Rome would become “an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread though Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, even Eastern Europe.” - Source

Thanks to Paula and Pewsitters  for the Hamas story.

[Photo:  Israeli soldier shoots in church.  I know, it's a sensationalist image. ;)]