Well, it's safe to say that the media transformation which began once the Pope arrived, turned the full corner last night. Even yesterday, there were some negative headlines, but today it's a different story. The Pope's impressive arrival by boat, his time with the youth, and the incredible motorcade through the city of Sydney has changed the outlook of most.
Here are this morning's headlines:
"Shining His Light: Pope Warns Against the Lure of False Idols" - Sydney Morning Herald
"Grey Day Turns Heavenly as Pope Takes First Big Outing" - The Australian
"Holy Sea" - The Daily Telegraph
A T.V. host on Channel 7 this morning said, "We never realized it was going to be this big."
The media is quoting a figure of 500,000 people who showed up yesterday (pilgrims and Australians) to greet the Pope by boat and on the motorcade. They filled the stairs of the Sydney Opera House. They lined the streets along the 45-minute motorcade route. There were people everywhere. The newscaster said that in some places they were lined up 10-20 deep.
The same newscaster this morning said that Sydney readers and viewers don't like the negative coverage. A media analyst said that once the Pope was here, people wanted positive stories, not stories about past abuse.
Indeed, the transformation has taken place. Sydney is well disposed for today's central event - the Stations of the Cross - which will begin at St. Mary's Cathedral at 3 p.m., with Pope Benedict XVI in attendance, and will then wind its way through Australia's The Domain park, to the Art Gallery of NSW, the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour, with the last two stations taking place out at Barangaroo around 6 p.m.
-- Tim Drake
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