A Future Pope Ate Here...and Here's Proof

James Barthen, vice president of media affairs for the Pittburgh Symphony Orchestra, called me after reading my earlier post about Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's visit to the cafe run by Manfred Honeck. Honeck is the new music director of the PSO, and the Register features him in the June 1 issue on page one ("Maestro: Faith, Family and Music in a Conductor's Life").
What we couldn't fit in the print version was this question Register correspondent Robert Rauhut posed to Conductor Honeck:
What is your relationship with Pope Benedict XVI?
I do not know him personally, but I have to tell you an interesting story. You know, I have a little café/restaurant in this Nenzinger Himmel, which is run by my nephew now, and about two months ago I got the guest book into my hands, and I opened it and imagine: Cardinal Josef Ratzinger with deacons form the Archdiocese of Munich visited it in 1979. He was in this café and has signed personally. This has fascinated me and we thought: What? The future Pope was here in my restaurant, in Nenzinger Himmel.
Now I have had copied that page and I will hang an image there, because there has never been something like this in that village, that a Pope stayed there. My father laid out that guest book in 1964. That is the year of the first entry. Now I do not remember exactly what he wrote, it was something like “Archbishop and deacons assembled in the kingdom of heaven!”

Cardinal Ratzinger was playing on the name of the village, Nenzinger Himmel, which translates literally as Nenzinger Heaven.
Not only that, but the copy of the page that Jim Barthen just sent me suggests that Cardinal Ratzinger (or one of his party) was having a bit of artistic fun as well. At the bottom of the entry is a drawing of what appears to be a bishop's mitre (with the cardinal's seal on it, I think, if that is the "bear" of Benedict we see). Up and down the two points of the mitre, as if ascending and descending the hills around Nenzinger Himmel, are stick figures of people--likely the "deacons" accompanying the cardinal.
Here is a pdf of the page:

Download Guest_Book.pdf

--John Burger

A Future Pope Ate Here

There was a lot of buzz in the cultural world in Pittsburgh a couple of weekends ago. The new music director of the venerable Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra took up his baton May 9 and showed concert-goers what they have to look forward to when he moves in permanently in September.
Manfred Honeck is a former violist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra -- and a practicing Catholic.
The Register's Munich correspondent, Robert Rauhut, spoke to Honeck recently, and his interview with him will run soon in our print edition. Honeck's family has run a cafe in the country village of Nenzinger Himmel, Austria, for many years. A few months ago, Honeck was flipping through the cafe's guestbook and came across an entry written in 1979 by then-Archbishop of Munich Josef Ratzinger. He was accompanied on the visit by two deacons.
What did the future Pope write? Honeck recalls the entry thus: "Archbishop and deacons assembled in the kingdom of Heaven."
Why Heaven? The name of the rustic, Alpine village, Nenzinger Himmel, translates as "Nenzinger Heaven."
--John Burger

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

Unloaded Birthday Cake

Tom Hoopes here. American cardinals and secretaries of the USCCB had a birthday lunch with Pope Benedict XVI yesterday, and we heard some of the details at the Vatican embassy this afternoon.

The birthday cake was chocolate with red icing, says Mary Schniedau, who saw the caterers bringing it in. It WAS SHAPED LIKE ST. PETER'S BASILICA and had sea-shell-shaped frosting decoration down one side. She could only see one side of it, and so she's not sure if it also had a Corbinian bear and Ethopian king.

A tribute to the Secret Service agents who are guarding the Holy Father: They insisted that the cake go through the metal detector, said Mary.

Why Benedict 'Waves Badly'

Tom Hoopes here. Yesterday we noticed that Pope Benedict has a spring in his step and a joyful air about him. He extends his arms in a kind of embrace that is electrifying, when you're a Catholic excited about seeing the Holy Father. But as he walked by us at Andrews Air Force Base, his most common gesture was a wave in which he plays "air piano" with his fingers.

It was commented on by several of the reporters there. Why does he wave like that? Benedict of Bavaria (published by our sister publisher, Circle Press ... see the link above to the left) has the answer. Writes Brennan Pursell:

"Some journalists today criticize the Pope for being 'a bad waver,' and it is true that he does not gesture nearly as much as his predecessor. But the way he carries himself is perfectly in keeping with his culture."

Specifically, Pursell attributes this to the Bavarian virtue of being zuruckhaltend, "self-restrained, with no shouting, wild gesticulations, or blaring laughter. Public displays of emotion were in bad taste, and the voice was to be kept soft."

Other Bavarian virtues he sees in the pope:

Fleiss -- "a diligent devotion to hard work,not hard, excessive, or frenetic, but good in quality and quantity."

Punktlichkeit -- "punctuality as a matter of personal discipline and basic consideration for the needs of others."

Bescheidenheit -- "which refers to modest bearing, or basic humility."

... and Geborgenheit and Gemutlichkeit which describe feelings associated with being safely and comfortably at home.

Brennan Pursell

Tom Hoopes here. Brennan Pursell, whose excellent book I'm reading is published by the Register's sister publisher, Circle Press, somehow figured out how to show up on news.google.com with comments ...

A good point, that. By the way, I was just at D.C.'s Catholic Information Center and I was single-handedly responsible for getting Pursell's Benedict of Bavaria put out in a prominent display. It was in boxes in the back, still

The poor folks at the center underordered for this week, I think. I bought them out of a a number of items that I plan to bring to Nationals Stadium to get blessed.

Praying for the Pope

There are no doubt, thousands of persons worldwide praying for the Pope and praying for the success of his apostolic visit to the United States, but special among them would be religious communities whose very lives are set aside for prayer.

Apostolic Nuncio Pietro Sambi has asked the contemplative communities in the U.S. to take one of the activities of the Holy Father and make it the object of prayer, consecration, suffering and self-offering.

 I am certain there are hundreds of communities who are doing so. Among them are the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration at St. Joseph's Monastery in Portsmouth, Ohio. They have created a special web page welcoming the Holy Father and committing themselves to prayer and retreat on Saturday, April 19th - the third anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's election.

They are praying that the event will be "a blessed occasion for the renewal of the faith, hope and charity of the Church in America."

The USCCB recommends praying the Act of Hope each day for the intentions of the Holy Father. Here it is:

O Lord God,

I hope by your grace for the pardon

of all my sins

and after life here to gain eternal happiness

because you have promised it

who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind,

and merciful.

In this hope I intend to live and die.

 Amen.

Covered by that much prayer, the Pope's journey cannot help but be a success.

If you are a religious order or consecrated community that has set aside a particular day or activity of the Holy Father for prayer, please let us know in the comment boxes.

CUA Student to Meet the Pope

When CUA senior Peter Osgood was accepted into Catholic University four years ago, he expected to earn a degree. Not only will he earn his Bachelor’s degree in biology next month, but he’s also getting to meet the Pope.

“It certainly enhances the degree,” laughed Osgood. “I never anticipated I would meet the Pope.”

Osgood was the winner of Catholic University of America’s Student Essay Contest. As a result, the University’s president Father David O’Connell will introduce Osgood to Pope Benedict XVI when he comes to campus to speak on April 17.

Osgood’s essay was chosen from 128 that were submitted by students at the university describing how Catholic education changed their life.

Osgood attended a Catholic elementary school in Penn Yan, NY, but didn’t return to a Catholic school until his acceptance at Catholic University.

“I remember vividly how each school day began in prayer. It was here that we brought to mind those in need, gave thanks for our many gifts and asked for help in all of our challenges,” wrote Osgood in his winning essay. “This truly set the tone for our learning throughout the rest of the day.”

Osgood doesn’t know what to expect when he meets the Pope. He’s also unsure what exactly he’s going to say to him.

“I don’t know what I will say to the Holy Father,” said Osgood. “My plan is to attend medical school as a surgeon next fall. I’d like to ask the Pope to bless my hands so I could ideally be a better doctor.”

-- Tim Drake

Alaskans Making the Trek to See the Pope

The Hawaiians aren't the only Americans coming from a long distance to see Pope Benedict. Catholic Online has this story about a group of about 50 Alaskans who are making the long journey.

Among them are a Lutheran convert to the Catholic faith, and Father Ben Torreto.

“It will be a delightful moment, a graced moment,” said Father Torreto, who is on loan to the Anchorage Archdiocese from the Archdiocese in Cotobato. “The reality is that the pope is the head of the church, and we need to talk about solidarity, about how we are one church, one Body in Christ.”

More on that Hawaiian Fan of the Pope

The Honolulu Advertiser has a wonderful article on Linda Cacpal, whom I interviewed a few days ago. Cacpal told me pretty much the same story that you'll read in the Advertiser. She wasn't a big fan of Pope Benedict, that is until she started reading him. Now, it would be difficult to find someone who loves the Pope more than she.