Knights Poll Finds Pope Bounce

A Knights of Columbus poll found that the papal visit precipitated a big jump in positive view of Benedict and Church. "One third now more likely to vote and be more active in community and church," said the press release.

"A poll taken immediately following the conclusion of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States shows that it had a powerful impact on public attitudes toward the pope, the church, and a willingness to live their faith more fully. 

"The nationwide poll of 1,013 adults was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and conducted by the Marist College Institute for  Public Opinion between April 22 and April 24, 2008.  Marist conducted a  similar poll prior to the pope's visit, allowing before-and-after comparisons."

Among the highlights:

• 65%  of Americans have a more positive view of Pope Benedict as a result of what they saw and heard during his visit
• 52% have a more positive view of the Catholic Church
• The proportion of Americans with a favorable view of Pope Benedict jumped from 58% prior to his visit to 71% afterward
• The proportion describing the pope positively as a spiritual leader went from 53% to 62%
• The proportion describing him as a good or excellent world leader went from 41% to 51%
• 56% see his ability to promote good relations between the Catholic Church and other religions as good or excellent, up from 40% prior to his visit
• More than a third (35%) say they are now more in touch with their own spiritual values as the result of the pope's visit

Even more importantly, nearly half (49%) now have a better understanding of the Catholic Church's positions on important issues, and a significant proportion of Americans are prepared to change their personal involvement as a result:

• About four in ten say they are more likely to lead a moral life and make family a bigger part of their lives
• One in three are more likely to participate in elections, community activities and their churches as a result of the papal visit

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said that the poll results "show clearly that Pope Benedict has presented the Catholics of the United States with a tremendous opportunity. ...  It is now up to all of us in the Catholic community to walk through the door he has opened for us, and work together to build a civilization of love."

Find the full results (in pdf form) here.

Stand-Up Cheney

The Pope jokes are near the beginning ...

What Does it Mean to Protect Children When ...

According to the Chicago Tribune's "Seeker" blog:

Cardinal Francis George said Pope Benedict XVI was able to say what the Church couldn't: that the sexual abuse of minors is a problem rooted in the moral relativism of our time.

The quotes from Cardinal George:

"We have avoided scrupulously as bishops trying to excuse ourselves in any way by saying well this is a societal problem," George said. "Others have said that and I think it is true ... Those were his original words: 'What does it mean to protect children when you live in a society with rampant pornography with all kinds of manifestations of violence?'

"Children are victims of all this," George continued. "If you're going to address this, address society. [Bishops] haven't felt free to say that because it looks like we're letting ourselves off the hook. But he's free to say it and he did and not at our prompting."

The Holy Father's point is a sound one (though the blogger doesn't think so). In our relativistic culture, even USA Today is willing to say: Hey, why not? to "child/adult sex." This should not surprise us. What with unrestricted Internet access in libraries, schools and in our homes, our culture seems totally unconcerned about putting  kids in the middle of a pornography tsunami without protection. In America right now, adults' sexual appetites trump innocence (just look at the shoulder-shrug attitude toward the public schools' abuse cover-up).

The greatest long-term harm of the sex abuse crisis in the Church will likely be the extension of the abuse scandal elsewhere, due to the loss of the Church's rare voice of sanity. The Church is here to instill a sense of sin. When the sense of sin is gone, hide your children. That's what makes this sin in priests so diabolical.

-- Tom Hoopes

The Pope Speaks Mozart

And so does China.

A happy coincidence, that. Providential? Perhaps.

At the very least, China Philharmonic's debut at the Vatican, part of a three-city European tour that begins May 4, would carry significant symbolism for the millions of Roman Catholics in China, who are split between official and underground churches. Chinese Catholics are only allowed to worship at state-backed churches, and many worshipping at clandestine sites and professing loyalty to the pope have been persecuted.

Money graf:

It wasn't clear how much the concert would help the Vatican and Beijing move toward reconciliation. But Pope Benedict has made the improvement of relations with Beijing a priority of his papacy, hoping to secure greater freedom for Chinese Catholics.

Rock 'em, Amadeus!

-- David Pearson

The Papacy, Reconsidered

More movement in evangelical circles toward a softer stance on the Pope: Pastor John Hagee has expressed his admiration of, and appreciation for, Benedict XVI and his mission.

As an evangelical Protestant I happen to disagree with Pope Benedict on many issues of Christian doctrine and ritual. But when it comes to his moral vision for America and the world I have one thing to say in response to the Pope's visit: Amen.

This is a remarkable development. Rev. Hagee isn't just an evangelical Protestant. As the Catholic League has pointed out, he's a fundamentalist Christian who, in the past, has done what many fundamentalist Christians have been doing for decades: point to the 17th and 18th chapters of Revelation to suggest that the Catholic Church is not only not Christian but also a deadly cult -- "the Great Whore of Babylon." Evidently he's also claimed that Adolf Hitler was in league with the "Roman church." Et cetera.

That was then. This is now.   

[A]ll of our hearts cheered when Pope Benedict stood before the United Nations and stated so forcefully that when states fail to protect the basic human rights of their citizens, "the international community must intervene."

[snip]

We were all inspired by Pope Benedict's visit. It is my prayer that we will now follow his example and look beyond our differences to see that when it comes to the great challenges of our times, people of faith have much in common.

Twenty years ago Christian unity with certain sectors of evangelicalism sounded like a pipe dream. Today it's not exactly a done deal -- don't look for "Bible-only" Christians to report for RCIA by the tentful any time soon -- but there's the strong sense that, through the Pope's U.S. visit, the Holy Spirit is doing something new. Something we haven't seen before. Even if, for now, it's only to fill our hearts with hope and remind us that, for human beings, some things are impossible -- but "for God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

-- David Pearson

The Catholic Moment + 2 Decades

I was at Father Neuhaus' St. Mary's talk last night (see below) with Peter Wolfgang of the Family Institute of Connecticut (and of its blog).

Wolfgang asked the night's best question: He noted that it was 20 years since the publication of The Catholic Moment. He noted that 10 years after the book's publication, Father Neuhaus had written an article for Crisis magazine for the occasion, though I can't find it online. He wanted to know, 20 years later, how Father Neuhaus would reassess the state of the Church in America.

Father Neuhaus' answer nicely distinguished optimism ("a matter of optics, of seeing what you want to see and not seeing what you don't want to see") from the Christian virtue of hope and pointed to some signs of life in the Church. It would be interesting to hear more from him on the question, once he has had time to reflect on it.

The mood in the Church is very different from what it was in 1998, even among the "JPII Generation" of Catholics. The abuse scandals took the wind out of many sails. When will it kick up again?

-- Tom Hoopes

God-Intoxicated

Father Richard John Neuhaus of First Things spoke last night on Benedict’s visit at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven. Actually, the Communion and Liberation group at St. Mary's originally arranged from him to talk about “The Mind of Benedict.”   

Father Neuhaus  made the point that Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI is misunderstood. He didn’t have a “liberal period” followed by a “conservative period” followed by a “reactionary period” followed by a “warm-fuzzy papal period.” Rather, he has all along been radically Christ-centered.

“The radically Christological mind of Joseph Ratzinger is manifest in his every word, his every gesture.”

Neuhaus sees the future Pope Benedict XVI meeting the crowds in America in the newly ordained Father Joseph Ratzinger. Father Joseph Ratzinger’s and his brother, Georg’s, ordinations were celebrated by days of Bavarian to-do in Traunstein. Amid the parades, the “oom pa pa” bands, and the festivities, Neuhaus notes (from Ratzinger’s autobiography) the new priest kept saying:

“This is not for you, Joseph.”

“We don’t have as many accounts as we should” of Joseph’s theological work, said Neuhaus, but one idea recurs throughout. It’s the Christology captured in Ratzinger’s oft-repeated description of Christ:

“the human face of God.”

Some choice Neuhaus quotes from the talk:

On Benedict’s speaking style: “He isn’t one to pander to an inattentive audience.”

On Ratzinger's relationship with John Paul II: “The intensity of their collaboration … could hardly have been more intense, more mutually influential.”

Quoting a theologian friend on Benedict’s willingness to do whatever God asked him: “He’s God-intoxicated. … When did you last see a shy person on television?”

-- Tom Hoopes

French Bishops: 'Our Turn?' Pope: 'Oui!'

Will Benedict transfix France the way he mesmerized (and energized) America? I wouldn't count on it. Three-quarters of the population in "The Church's Eldest Daughter" are Catholic, but barely more than 10% go to Mass.

Then, too, this trip will come hot on the heels of World Youth Day in Australia. Momentum happens. So do miracles. Especially at Lourdes.

Watch, pray and work a little water. There's strength in solidarity.

-- David Pearson

Exclusive: Cardinal Egan on Rudy Giuliani

In light of Rudy Giuliani receiving the Eucharist during the Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Archdiocese of New York released the following comment from Cardinal Edward Egan this morning. I received the statement from Joe Zwilling, director of communications for the archdiocese.

“ The Catholic Church clearly teaches that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God. Throughout my years as Archbishop of New York, I have repeated this teaching in sermons, articles, addresses, and interviews without hesitation or compromise of any kind. Thus it was that I had an understanding with Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, when I became Archbishop of New York and he was serving as Mayor of New York, that he was not to receive the Eucharist because of his well-known support of abortion. I deeply regret that Mr. Giuliani received the Eucharist during the Papal visit here in New York, and I will be seeking a meeting with him to insist that he abide by our understanding.”

-- Tim Drake

FLASHBACK, 1979 CUA

The Prayer of the Pope and the President

Setting aside all of the public events during the Pope's trip to America, I'm always fascinated to hear the stories after of the more private events - those that don't make it on television or camera. Recently, Catholic News Service photographer Nancy Wiechec, who accompanied the Pope throughout his trip taking nearly 8,000 photographs of his journey, told me about one such event.

For Pope Benedict XVI's birthday, Cardinal Edward Egan gave him a birthday present. According to Wiechec, the Pope didn't wait to open the gift, but tore into it right away, like a child.

"I think the pope, even at 81, still at times has the wonderment of a child," said Wiechec. "Want to know what was in the box? A engraved silver Tiffany tray commemorating his visit to New York."

We'll have a full interview with Wiechec in next week's National Catholic Register.

Another story was regarding the Pope's meeting with President Bush. Reuter's reported that following the private meeting of President Bush and Pope Benedict, the two men prayed together. Here's the excerpt.

Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said that the "brief prayer" took place after the pope and Bush had finished their private talks in the Oval Office and Laura Bush joined them.

"There was a brief prayer for the family (as an institution)," Lombardi said.

-- Tim Drake

Why Do People Love the Pope?

Why do people love the pope?

It isn't obvious that they should.

He's old.
He's a German who lives in Italy.
His writing is dense.
He's not good at sound-bites.
His public speaking isn't colored by great passion.
His personal tastes are for things that most Americans don't care much for.
His style of dress is archaic.
To follow his message would mean to change your life, including giving up things you might like.

But then again:

He tells the truth, not a message that is part what we want to hear and part set-up for something he wants to foist on us.
His measure of the universe is larger than his personal interest.
He doesn't consider himself the protagonist in his own life, let alone in ours, too. God is the protagonist in both.
He prayed not to get his job, and wanted to do something else.  Unlike a politician, who has to use us to further his own goals, he's allowing himself to be used for our goals.
His favorite subjects are love and hope.
And beauty.
He is the Mozart of Catholic theology not just because he writes beautiful and intricate works, but because he can practically compose them whole and simply write them down.

... and then there's that intangible something: He's Peter. His office makes us love him. I wonder if John Paul didn't fool us into forgetting that people have always loved the Pope. They loved the jolly John XXIII. They loved the phlegmatic Pius XII. Even Popes love Popes, as when Benedict expressed his love for Paul VI by quoting John Paul II ...

Certainly, people haven't always loved their president. And certainly, lapsed Americans -- people who have left America -- haven't thrilled at the site of a new president in the way that even lapsed Catholics thrill to see the Pope.

So why do people love the Pope? It would explain everything if the teachings of the Catholic Church on the matter were true ...

-- Tom Hoopes

Ecumenical Envoy

Two decades ago papal doings, even big ones, earned no more than news-brief attention in evangelical-Protestant publications. After all, Catholics were not saved. They hadn't been born again. They were non-Christians. A fair number of subscribers to Christianity Today, Christian Herald and the like would have cancelled their subscriptions, or done worse damage, over long and complimentary features on a pope.

Times have changed. Here's World magazine, an influential evangelical publication:

More intriguing was his warning, at a session with non-Catholic Christians that included evangelicals, against relegating religion entirely to subjective personal experience, minimizing the faith's objective truth and doctrinal content.

Till now Benedict has been barely known to non-Catholic Americans, while Catholics have seen him as John Paul's doctrinal "Rottweiler" who disciplined Catholic liberals and denounced secularism.

The Benedict that Americans observed is no rock star in the mold of his predecessor. But this first modern pontiff to be fluent in English (albeit with a heavy German accent) has a theological mind for all Christians to reckon with.

I have a lot of respect for a lot of evangelical Protestants. I have more in common with some of them, spiritually speaking, than with some of the people in the pews of my own parish. (Remember that Southern New England, where the Register is located, is one of the most densely Catholic areas in the country -- and one of the least friendly to life, marriage and the family.)

Altar Call: If you've got an evangelical friend who asked anything at all about the Pope during the visit, invite him or her to Mass this weekend. The Tiber is riper for the crossing than it's been since a Calvinist college student asked Protestant Professor Scott Hahn, famously: "Where is Sola Scriptura in Scripture?"

-- David Pearson

A Shot of Vitamin B16

Will the Pope's visit kick-start a surge in vocations in these United States?

Given the intensity of Benedict's approach to the matter -- "Young men and women of America, I urge you: Open your hearts to the Lord’s call to follow him in the priesthood and the religious life. Can there be any greater mark of love than ... to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for his friends?" -- it's a good question. Perceptive.

AP does a nice job asking it of some clued-in (and cautiously optimistic) Catholics.

George Weigel, a Catholic theologian and John Paul II biographer, said Benedict was a vibrant example to them of how fulfilling life can be in service to the church.

"It's impossible to tell, today, what numerical impact the pope's visit will have on young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood," Weigel said. "But that some men will have been moved to think of that life of self-sacrifice as a great adventure, no one should doubt."

[snip]

Benedict's visit "will definitely make a difference" in attracting new priests, said the Rev. Arturo Cepeda, who teaches at Assumption [Seminary in San Antonio]. He downloaded Benedict's comments to U.S. bishops about the priesthood and discussed them with his classes at the school the next morning.

"He provided a very positive, a very vibrant and very realistic view of the priesthood," said Cepeda, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. "Most of the men here want to make a difference in the church, in the world and in society, and that takes sacrifice."

[snip]

The Rev. Michael Morris, director of pastoral formation at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., where the youth rally was held, credits John Paul's 1979 trip to the U.S. with moving him toward enrolling in seminary. But he said the pope's presence was not the only reason he joined.

"There were a lot of guys from my generation, who entered the seminary in the early '80s, we entered on the heels of the pope's first visit," said Morris, who teaches church history at the seminary. "I can't say that it was just a visit that inspired us to become priests. But sometimes you need a nudge."

He plans to talk about the pope's visit, the priesthood and religious life in the local parish where he helps celebrate Mass, to encourage anyone considering the vocation.

The few, the proud, the B16ers. Watch and pray for them.

-- David Pearson

When Unfamiliarity Is Better Than Bias

Waiting for Pope Benedict to arrive inside St. Patrick's Cathedral last Saturday, I had a chance to make small talk with some other members of the press. The youngest one there, a guy I figured to be no more than half a decade out of college, told me he was with a daily serving one of the NYC boroughs. Then he said something that almost caused me to drop my pen and pad. "This," he said without trepidation or irony, "is my first time seeing a Mass."

Hooboy.

I thought about running Scoop through a variation of Tom Hoopes's sports-coverage analogy. I mentally cued up something like And is your paper going to send someone who's never seen a football game to cover the next Super Bowl? Instead I bit my lip, wished the young man well and eased away. Said a little prayer for him. We were, after all, no more than a few feet from the reserved Blessed Sacrament. (Not that he knew anything about that.)

Today I'm happy to tell you that I've read his report and that, all things considered, it really isn't all that bad. He got the gist of things about right. The work would have been a lot worse, I'm sure, if he'd traded his inexperience and lack of subject knowledge for the kind of hubris and willful ignorance we've come to expect from many mainstream reporters twice his age. I think of the cable-network anchor who, during the Mass at Yankee Stadium, bizarrely suggested that priests look like one another and behave similarly, and that they do so because the Vatican keeps tabs on priests. When one of his co-commentators -- a priest -- assured him this was a silly notion, the anchor only insisted the more: "Oh, they're watching, all right. They're watching." I kid you not.

As for the cub reporter covering the Pope at St. Pat's: Either the Holy Spirit is up to his old writing-straight-with-crooked-lines ways or that reporter has a pretty good editor.

Or maybe it's a little bit of both. Isn't it pretty to think so? (If you're a Catholic editor, Yes it is. Irresistibly so.)

-- David Pearson

The Arrival

The Other Ground Zero

Lost in the coverage of the Pope's visit was one moving moment. Pope Benedict touched and blessed the flag that was recovered from the wreckage of the U.N. facility in Baghdad that was bombed by terrorists in August, 2003.

The flag had been placed there at memorial service a month after the bombing. Said the U.N. press office at the time:

"With flowers and tears, solemn words and lighted candles, the United Nations family gathered in the great hall of the General Assembly today, exactly one month after a terrorist's bomb destroyed UN headquarters in Baghdad,  to pay tribute to its fallen and renew allegiance to the principles of altruism guiding the world body. 'They form a roll call of heroes that would be the envy of any nation,' Secretary-General Kofi Annan declared, standing beneath the very flag - now damaged - that had flown above the UN compound in  Iraq on 19 August when the massive blast killed 22 people, including Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello."

Just like Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center attacks, the flag is a reminder that the terrorists we face aren't a group of guerilla fighters in a righteous cause: They are mass murderers who don't trouble themselves to select victims according to any traditional military categories of neutral, allies or enemies, let alone combatants or non-combatants.

Americans have always had a certain suspicion of the United Nations. With good reason. It's right to fear for the loss of sovereignty and to be watchful that worldwide anti-life policies aren't foisted on whole nations. But as the Holy Father reminded the United Nations, the organization's original calling is very different:

"In the internal debates of the United Nations, increasing emphasis is being placed on the 'responsibility to protect.' Indeed this is coming to be recognized as the moral basis for a government's claim to authority. It is also a feature that naturally appertains to a family, in which stronger members take care of weaker ones. This Organization performs an important service, in the name of the international community, by monitoring the extent to which governments fulfill their responsibility to protect their citizens."

So, pray for the Holy Father's intentions regarding the United Nations. He is making a bold effort to return the organization to its roots. Pray he succeeds.

-- Tom Hoopes

Watch and Learn, Campaigner

In which a non-Catholic deputy D.A. studies Pope Benedict XVI during his American visit and, with keen eye -- he displays powers of observation that could only belong to a legal-eagle law enforcer -- notes some moments that, he thinks, could easily be mimicked to power the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.

Is this a great country or what?

-- David Pearson

News Tidbits on World Youth Day

With just 81 days to go before World Youth Day '08 in Sydney, it's been interesting to see the Australian press' take on the event. The majority of Australian articles have tended to be overly focus on the costs of the event, and the costs to Australian taxpayers. There's yet another article like that here.

However, ABC News Australia does have a different story. They are reporting that World Youth Day organizers are seeking an additional 20,000 homes to accommodate the pilgrims hoping to have a "homestay" experience. The organizers have already located 20,000 homes for some of the 250,000 expected pilgrims, but they are seeking an additional 20,000.

-- Tim Drake

Gus Lloyd XVI (via www.guslloyd.com)

What Did You Take With You?

In the spirit of Amy Welborn, who often asks visitors to her blog to recount a particular Sunday Mass with the question "What did you hear?" or "What did you see?" I'd like to ask readers, "What did you take with you" from the Pope's visit?

Lots of people took home souvenirs, photos, memories from the Masses or other events they attended (or watched on TV). But what did you take with you from Benedict's words or actions that are likely to stay with you for  life, and why? What will have a lasting impact, and why?

I ask this because once the excitement of the visit subsides, once the thrill of having a Pope on American soil is forgotten, I wonder what will have a lasting impact on our Church and our society.

Personally speaking, I was struck by a moment during the Pope's address at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. Speaking to some 25,000 young people, Benedict asked for their prayers and said, in a rather soft voice, "because, as you know, I just had another birthday, and time is passing." 

Was it fear of death that showed through this 81-year-old's words? It's a normal emotion, though not one you'd typically find at the forefront of a teen's mind or a 20-something's concerns.

Then again, who says the motivation for Benedict's plea was fear? Death is an inevitability. For the Christian, it's how we face it that matters. Benedict knows this well. As do all priests and religious, and many lay people, he prayers the Liturgy of the Hours and at the end of Night Prayer, before going to bed, he prayers, "May the merciful Lord grant us a peaceful night and a holy death."

We have to do all we can to be well-prepared for death. But the prayers of others for a holy death, Benedict knows, are important as well.

--John Burger

Carrying Their Crosses

It's onwards and downwards for Pope2008.com -- Down Under, that is.

Although we're still basking in the afterglow of Benedict's dramatic U.S. visit , we're also starting to ramp up our coverage of the preparations for the Pope's next major trip to Australia for this summer's World Youth Day.

One WYD feature that has assumed the status of a cherished tradition is the journey of the World Youth Day Cross in advance of the event. It really gets around: In February 2002, I attended a special Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral along with a contingent of Canadian youth who were bringing the cross to Ground Zero in advance of WYD 2002 in Toronto.

Right now the cross is making its way across Australia to Sydney, generating lots of enthusiasm as it travels. And here in the United States, at least one diocese has crafted a special cross of their own that local Catholic youth plan to carry to Sydney this summer.

I don't know if the transport of the New Jersey cross all the way to Australia will pose any logistical problems. But take heart if it does, Camden pilgrims -- after all, it's only a small burden to bear in return for being able to participate in such an inspirational gathering!

— Tom McFeely

Yankee Stadium

Local Heroes

Home in Rome

Pope Benedict made it back across The Pond in one piece and, evidently, he's feeling energized rather than exhausted by his U.S. visit.  Earlier today he presided at a sad but glorious event — the funeral Mass in St. Peter's for the heroically pro-life Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, who died at 72 while the Holy Father was in the United States.

"At this moment how can we not emphasize the zeal and the passion with which he worked during these 18 years, with his untiring action for the defense and promotion of the family and Christian matrimony?" the Pope said at the Mass. "How can we not thank him for the courage with which he defended the nonnegotiable values of human life?"

And how can we not thank the Holy Father for utterly spending himself on behalf of the Body of Christ, undaunted by dumb headlines and provocative press, in the days of his life he expected to while away — a priest forever but a retiree for a time — in his beloved Bavarian homeland?

— David Pearson

5 Things to Keep in Mind

Some people are just finding this site. Some things to keep in mind:

1. COVERAGE CONTINUES. It's called Pope2008.com because we're covering both the U.S. visit and the World Youth Day in Sydney (plus Rome Pope News).

2. LAST WEEK'S POSTS. To see all the posts from the visit, click on "April" under the "Archives" subhead to the right (scroll down) ... or just click here.

3. FEATURED VIDEO. The featured video at the top is in lieu of the streaming video we had from EWTN during the trip. We'll be looking for other videos to feature, periodically.

4. THE NEWSPAPER. This is a site of the National Catholic Register. The new issue is up now on our main website. That site always has "media watch" links that are updated at least twice a day (except when we mess up) and a daily featured free story. The opinion and commentary sections are always free. We just got the print edition and if you don't subscribe, you're missing out! It's beautiful. (And boy do we need subscriptions ...)

5. GREAT STUFF. Also, see the sponsors links to the left at the top. Our own Circle Press offer Benedict of Bavaria, an indespensable book that we are very lucky to have, using German source texts to tell the untold story of Benedict's childhood, priesthood, and beyond. Faith & Family magazine is the best Catholic magazine in America, according to the CPA, and has won that award for years. It's a real joy to hear all the positive feedback from the moms who subscribe to it.

Also: See the two papal slideshows to the left.

-- Tom Hoopes

Pope Jokes from Day 1

I cut out the ones that tiresomely bashed Bush. Left in the Cheney one because it was funny, and could be taken as a knock at the over-the-top anti-Cheney rhetoric ...

Jay Leno: “Anyway, when the Pope arrived at the White House, he was given a 21-gun salute. That’s got to make Barack Obama a little uncomfortable. Guns and religion, you know, that kind of thing. Get a little bitter. I don’t know about that.”

Jay Leno: “Actually, one really embarrassing moment -- you see this on the news? When the Pope blessed the crowd with holy water, well, some of it splashed on Dick Cheney, burned his skin.”

David Letterman: “The Pope is in the United States. Flew in to Washington, DC. Hillary Clinton declined to meet the Pope at the airport,” because “she was worried about sniper fire.”

David Letterman: “And coincidentally, today is the Pope’s 81st birthday. … President Bush greeted the Pope, and he knew it was his birthday, so he gave him a gift card to Big and Tall Hats.”

Everybody Loves Tim Drake

Overheard in the Vatican:

Vatican Cardinal 1: "Were you at any of the events Tim Drake was at?"

Vatican Cardinal 2: "Yeah, I saw him at the Vespers, but they had the press guys upstairs."

Vatican Cardinal 1: "But you walked by him?"

Vatican Cardinal 2: "I did. It was amazing. Even just passing Tim you got a sense of peace."

Vatican Cardinal 1: "I know what you mean. When you see him, it's like there's nobody in the room except you and Tim."

Okay, that probably didn't happen, but I did notice a remarkable phenomenon: Everybody loves Tim Drake. They love him. In the media center, when he walks by, voices go up and hands wave and cheery  hellos are shouted from eager faces.

In the office happy hour after the issue went out he was, in his quiet, smiling, way, the center of attention.

At home, my children warmed to him immediately. Even the shy-three and the bashful-five year old.  This dialog really did happen:

John Paul: "You know what Mr. Strake?"

Tim: "What, John Paul?"

John Paul: "I really like you."

Tim: "Thanks, John Paul!"

John Paul (thinking back on the 99.99 percent of his life that was spent without "Mr. Strake" in it): "You were away for sooo long!"

I've made a lot of mistakes as executive editor in the Register, and I've been proud of a lot of things we've done. But man, oh man. Hiring Tim Drake was one of the best.

-- Tom Hoopes'

Papal Visit 101

This article from Journal News is kind of a Papal Visit 101.  The writer, Gary Stern, sums up the Pope's agenda thus:

A. Introduce Benedict to America as warm, friendly and gracious - without going overboard or trying to make him into something he's not.

B. Celebrate the success of Catholicism in America and of America itself, but warn of the dangers to faith that are presented by relativism, secularism and materialism.

C. Face the fallout from the clerical sex-abuse crisis directly and on his own terms.

Through three days in Washington and three in New York, Benedict repeatedly hammered home points B and C and, through it all, appeared to accomplish point A with little trouble.

He also says Benedict satisfied various audiences: Americans who only tune in and are aware of his visit (they saw warmth and candor) and insider Catholics (they'll be quoting the texts for years).

He might also have mentioned: the Jewish community (even the cyncical ones appreciated his gestures), U.N. watchers (the staffs were delighted, which will mean a lot going forward),  Joe Pew Guy (many of us got recommitted to the faith), the media (still deciding what definition of the man they'll run with).

The article lacks the evangelical joy of Catholics who are saying the same thing and attributing the Holy Spirit. Which for some will mean it might actually make the point stronger.

-- Tom Hoopes

 

Why Benedict Went There

FREE today at www.ncregister.com

“What Benedict Wrought”; Father Raymond J. de Souza offers five reasons Pope Benedict focused so much on the sex abuse scandals.

Also find for FREE, our editorial: "The World Meets Benedict" in which we confess:

Months ago, when we planned to go all out for the U.S. papal visit and World Youth Day, we dubbed our coverage 'The World Meets Benedict.' But before long, that started to seem a little presumptuous. After all, the Pope himself dubbed his visit 'Christ Our Hope.' And the world already knew Pope Benedict XVI.

But then he came. And then ... well, click there and see, silly.

-- Tom Hoopes

EWTN Photos

Michelle Johnson at EWTN sent along these photos.

First: Father Richard John Neuhaus and Raymond Arroyo:

2. A nun watching  EWTN's papal coverage (Why didn't she just use her laptop to log onto Pope2008.com?)

Post Game Analysis

"What the Pope Accomplished" is Newsweek's story

George Will on ABC

Bill McGurn: The Pope and the President

From Raymond Arroyo at EWTN:

"From a purely external perspective (the media perspective if you will), the trip has been a triumph,” Arroyo continued. “Pope Benedict's ‘theatre of substantive acts’: his meeting with victims of clerical sexual abuse; the visit with religious leaders at the John Paul II Cultural Center; his warm, ‘impromptu’ stop at the Park East Synagogue in New York, and the solemn prayer service at Ground Zero all brilliantly revealed a man of faith willing to engage the world with hope and love.

“I have been struck by the number of non-Catholics who have stopped me in the streets of New York or written to share how touched they have been by the events of this week. Many say they are strangely drawn to this ‘new pope.’

“I think we have all found ourselves fascinated and drawn to this Pontiff ­– not due to his dazzling oratory or ability to entertain, but for his willingness to challenge and risk for the sake of the Gospel message. It has been quite a week. Quiet, bold Benedict has left his mark.”Before the Pope visited the John Paul II Culture Center for his interreligious talk, Arroyo talked about the Pope’s controversial speech at Regensburg, which made some question the Pope’s tactics. But here’s what those critics don’t know:

"Since the Pope quoted a Byzantine Emperor’s belief that Islam was an ‘evil and inhumane’ religion in Regensburg, there have been concerns in some quarters as to whether this was an appropriate way to engage Muslims in a meaningful conversation.Whatever those concerns might have been, it seems the Pope has been vindicated.

“As a direct result of the Regensburg speech, 138 Muslim scholars wrote to the Pope requesting a dialogue with Christians. Now a permanent Catholic/Muslim forum has been established which will hold its first formal meeting at the Vatican this coming November. Saudi King Abdullah, the custodian of the Muslim shrines in Mecca and Medina, has joined Benedict’s call for an interfaith dialogue and is supporting his efforts. There are suddenly negotiations underway to erect a Catholic church in Saudi Arabia and one has already sprung up in Qatar. This is astounding progress.”

“To my eye, Benedict is the only world leader, secular or religious, with the credibility and the courage to engage Islam in a candid discussion about religious freedom and the imperative that faith should never be used to condone or encourage violence.”

Brought to You By ...

(Left to Right)

Tim Drake, Robyn Lee, Dave Pearson, John Burger, Tom Hoopes, Tom Wehner ...

Seen here at Happy Hour after the issue finally went to the printer.

You Know You've Covered the Pope Too Long

 

 

... When you dream you saw an Afican King ....

 

 

 

 

... At a Shell Station ...

 

 

• 

 

 

... in California ...

 

 

• ... and you realize you're living INSIDE THE POPE'S COAT OF ARMS.

-- Tom Hoopes

Heading Home

After a grueling eight-day schedule, I head home this afternoon. To remind me that our work at Pope2008.com isn't finished I received an email this morning from the World Youth Day folks confirming my accommodation arrangements in Sydney. We have some exciting things planned to provide even better coverage of World Youth Day 2008. See you Down Under!

-- Tim Drake

Here Are the Popes

For those having trouble finding this...

The Papal Visits Slideshow

In Case You Missed It - Kelly Clarkson's "Ave Maria"

For those who weren't able to be there in person, here's Kelly Clarkson's version of the "Ave Maria."

Exclusive video

Henry Artis, part of a Communion and Liberation delegation that got to meet Pope Benedict Saturday evening outside his temporary residence, sent me this video, that he shot on his cell phone. He also provided me with a transcript:
"I give you my blessing, thank you for what you are doing, in prayer we are always united, thank you for all you doing for the Church, for the world, God bless you always" – and then he gave us his blessing.

The Moment

There were many highlights during the Pope's six-day trip, but none more poignant than this one for me - the Vicar of Christ holding up the Body of Christ, surrounded by the Church in all her glory and splendor - cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, consecrated and the laity. The most touching moment for me was receiving Christ in the Eucharist. At the very moment that I walked over to receive the Body of Christ, the orchestra and choir began singing "This is the Feast of Victory for Our God," a Lutheran hymn that we always used to sing during or after Communion. Tears filled my eyes. It was a indescribable moment for me - a Lutheran-turned-Catholic who was now hearing the Lutheran hymn of my youth as a Catholic, at the very moment that I was taking the Eucharistic Christ into my own body. It was as if I had somehow come full circle and the Holy Spirit was confirming me in my faith. It made all the struggles and trials and persecutions of the past 13 years fade away. The coincidence of the timing of it all was the kind of thing that could only have been orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.

-- Tim Drake

'Pope-arazzi'

This David Dupnik photo from the Mass at Yankee Stadium captures the atmosphere that permeated each of the sites the Holy Father visited: Even the acolytes and priests couldn't help themselves in commemorating the momentous occasion. -- Tom Wehner

The Day After

It's the day after the Pope's departure. In addition to trying to meet all our deadlines for our print publication, we're processing the Pope's visit overall. One observation that I made was regarding the weather. Both in Washington, D.C. and New York, the Pope had clear blue skies, few clouds, and plenty of sunshine - so much sunshine, in fact, that I have a nice sunburn to show for it after yesterday's 7 hours of sitting in the stands at Yankee Stadium. The only period of time where the weather wasn't clear, was, as Tom pointed out, during the Pope's visit to Ground Zero. A slight mist/fog rolled into New York in the morning and lasted throughout the Pope's prayer at the World Trade Center site. Just prior to Mass, things cleared up at Yankee Stadium, providing glorious sunshine throughout the Mass.

It seems to me that a parallel can be drawn between the weather and the clarity that the Pope offered at each of his venues. He hit upon broad themes - peace, truth, freedom, obedience, reconciliation, healing, but did so in a very clear manner. It would be hard to read through his many speeches and suggest that he meant something other than what he said.

I can picture him saying, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. A Pope is faithful - 100%."

The clarity offered by Pope Benedict during his six-day stay in America was matched by the clarity of the skies throughout his entire visit.

-- Tim Drake

'No Darting Out After Communion Today'

Perhaps what was most surprising about the papal Mass at Yankee Stadium was what wasn’t present -- if there were protesters, I saw none; neither did I see peddlers on the streets outside trying to sell every “pope” item possible. I didn’t witness any loud or rowdy participants. People were peaceful and respectful; there was little to no talking during the Mass itself. Winds were such that it was possible to catch a whiff of incense from time to time. As they have been doing at papal events all week, several groups of Spanish-speaking participants began chanting, “Be-ne-dic-to! Be-ne-dic-to!” and “Al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia!” They even tried to start the wave -- before Mass began.

There were a few single shouts of “Viva il Papa!” and one “I love you, Benedict!” loud enough for the whole stadium to hear. Those were met with loud applause and acknowledged with waves from the Pope.

During Cardinal Edward Egan’s welcoming remarks, he mentioned the celebration of the bicentennial anniversaries of four dioceses (New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville, Ky.) and the elevation of the Diocese of Baltimore to an archdiocese. Though the number of cheers for New York far exceeded cheers for the other dioceses, Philadelphians seemed to cheer the loudest (and longest) from their block of seats.

A group from Chicago held up a banner that read, “Chicago Catholics (Heart) Pope Benedict” and another group from Texas held one saying, “Texas Loves Pope Benedict.” Those seated around me sang the hymns and anthems and followed the Mass from their programs. Someone remarked, “Bet there’s no one heading out the doors after Communion today!” Indeed, there wasn’t.

There was a good mix of young and old in attendance. I spotted countless young seminarians throughout the stadium. One a few rows up from where I was sitting could be heard on his cell phone excitedly telling his friend, “Dude! I got into Yankee Stadium!”

The two times the crowd interrupted Benedict’s homily to applaud were after he mentioned “those among us who are most vulnerable … the unborn” and when he addressed seminarians, encouraging them in their vocations.

-- Tina Dennelly

Wow

Tom Hoopes here. In my dining room. Next to two Guinea Pigs. And Tim Drake.

Wow. What else can one say? It was an amazing experience, spending this week with the Holy Father. My family definitely caught the bug. Surrounding us are papal flags that my wife put up. At the head of Tim's bed is a "Welcome Mr. Drake" sign that my daughter Olivia made. It depicts several scenes of Mr. Drake at various papal events, some of which Olivia knew from reading this blog.

But now comes the tough part. We will be spending the day in the Register's office preparing the next issue of the Register. Find it at www.ncRegister.com.

It will include:

• Father Raymond de Souza on Benedict's "mastery" of the media.
• Tim Drake on what we heard at the arrival of Pope Benedict ... and what was changed when he departed.
• Photo pages featuring the Event Masses.
• Moving interviews with participants at Ground Zero, The Catholic University of America speech, and more.

... and much, much more. Do check it out. Subscribe! We need your subscription to keep our mission going strong.

-- Tom Hoopes

Arrival vs. Departure

At JFK airport, I ran into Msgr. Robert McCabe, who traveled from Haverstraw in upstate New York, where he is a pastor, to to see Pope Benedict off. One thing that surprised Msgr. McCabe about the Pope's visit was the overwhelmingly positive response. He found that it brought out so many Catholics who are devoted to the papacy. And it changed “the perception of so many people” regarding the Pope.

“People thought he would be cold and unapproachable,” he noted. But Benedict proved them wrong. “It was his humility” that disarmed people, Father McCabe feels. The Pope’s remarks near the end of Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral were a prime example, Father McCabe said. There, he compared himself to St. Peter, the first Pope, but primarily in the fact that he, like Peter, was a sinful and weak human being who, in spite of that, was chosen to lead the Church.

-- John Burger

Following Up on Friday Night's Vigil Outside Migliore's Residence

Henry Artis was helping to organize a prayer vigil at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church on East 90th Street and a procession to the papal residence on East 72nd.

During the Holy Hour at the church, he got a call from one of the Sisters of Life, who were also involved in organizing the event: “There’s a possibility to see the Pope, but we have to go now.” He was able to invite three friends with him. The group traveled to the tent that was set up in front of the residence, and the Pope came out to greet them. “We thought he’d just say a few words and leave.” But he stayed and greeted each individual.

“I thanked him for being Pope,” said Artis, a convert, “and told him I’m a member of the Fraternity of St. Joseph,” which is the consecrated branch of Communion and Liberation. “He nodded his head and said “Great.” Pope Benedict is an admirer of CL and was a friend of its founder, Msgr. Luigi Giussani.

Artis, who works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, noticed that the Pope “loves to be with people.”

“You feel like you’re the only one there because he gives you all his attention.”

-- John Burger