Abbey-Roads2

Let it rip!

Okay, so if I never have to watch Raymond and Fr. Neuhaus again I will be a happy man.  LOL!  Not so much - EWTN really did do a pretty good job - although I doubt Raymond would ever make it on network television. 

It seemed as if I listened to him and Fr. Neuhaus for hours and hours as we waited for the Holy Father to depart JFK in NYC last evening.  The commentators went on and on and on, and then - just as the Holy Father arrives on the tarmac, Raymond had to go to break.   As the program resumed, the Holy Father could be seen walking up the stairs to board the plane.  Oh well.

Truly, I was just happy to see, and hear the Pope whenever I could, and then read what he had to say later.  I must say, Catholics really go in for the drama though.  Everyone all a twitter about the Mass in Washington.  LOL!  The discussion that caused!  I especially loved the commenters who claimed the music at the Mass was so atrocious they wept.  Omigosh!  Get a grip.

All in all I was thrilled with everything the Pope said and did.  I was especially impressed with his compassionate, humble embrace of the United States, and of course, his meeting with those who had been abused.  He came not to condemn but to listen and to show mercy and offer hope.  (I also appreciated the fact he addressed our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in their language, as well as coming to the defense of immigrants.  Even though a few conservative  toes may have been stepped on by it.) 

Hopefully people will now stop trying to compare him to JPII.

What did the Pope really say…this morning?

The “bilingual” Mass - kind of.  Actually, I think it underscores the fact that the Holy Father has a much different view of immigrants and language than conservative Americans do.

What did  the Pope really say?

He essentially told the Bishops  they screwed up.  He was talking about how the sexual abuse crisis was handled.

[Photo:  Vincenzo.]

The heartthrob from the Vatican.

I didn’t say it - Time magazine did, and oodles of female Catholic bloggers think it.  And maybe some men…  Watching EWTN’s coverage of the Pope, Fr. Neuhaus remarked, “What a handsome head of hair!”  I laughed out loud because I was sure he was speaking of Monsignor Ganswein.  Turns out he was talking about Pope Benedict’s mane of white.  I’m sure they’ll be talking about him before the trip is over. 

Oops!  This was supposed to go on my other blog.