Still processing

So, it's been a week since the pope returned to Rome from his U.S. pilgrimage. And I had hoped by this time to post some thoughts/reflections/observations gleaned from personal experience and, especially, the pope's various public addresses. But I have to confess I'm still processing much of that.

I will say that I agree with the responses of many commentators who've said that Americans now feel like we've really gotten to know this pope. Prior to this visit, we knew him as he was portrayed in the media prior to his election as pope -- as the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog. Rather a gruff, unyielding caricature. And then, upon his ascendancy to the chair of Peter, we learned that this eminent theological scholar is actually quite shy. I remember noticing his stiffness and reserved manner in the early days of his pontificate.

But what I saw during his six-day trip to the U.S. was the gradual growth of a smile. I don't think I'd ever seen a real, genuine smile cross his face in any other public appearance....it always looked like this forced grin plastered on his face for the sake of manners and the cameras.

But during this trip, it warmed my heart to see him genuinely, warmly smiling on a number of occasions -- most involving greeting the general public. If there's one image that sticks in my mind, that's it.

Like I said, I'm still digesting the bulk of his speeches, but here are some one-liners, as it were, that have stuck out so far:

"Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted." (address to U.S. bishops, I believe)

"Those who have hope must live different lives." (homily, Nationals Park Mass)

"What is God whispering to you?" (address to seminarians and young people, NY)

More pope photos/resources

Because I'm very proud of the work done by my colleagues, check out the Catholic Herald's Web site for more photos of the pope's time in D.C.:

www.catholicherald.com

Click on the "more photos" link on the right to see more shots. (Disclaimer: the "more photos" site is hosted by a third party; the Diocese of Arlington is NOT responsible for the advertising on that site.)

Also, if anyone's interested in reading some of what the pope said this week, check out the Vatican's Web site for the trip for texts in English.

everybody wants to see the pope

Opening of Papal Liturgy

The popemobile cometh!

Pictures from Nationals Park Mass

I'm breaking my rule about blogging from work.

But check out my photos from yesterday:

www.flickr.com/stephaniekatherine

Make sure to click to the second page. I'm still working on getting the video up.

Mass with the pope

Suffice it to say, the Mass this morning at Nationals Park in Washington was glorious.

The weather was picture perfect for the third day in a row (This has to be some kind of record for the D.C. area....I seriously want to know who the Archbishop of Washington had on his team praying for the weather this week....must have been the Poor Clares or something). The ballpark was in fact an outdoor cathedral...that wasn't just some analogy coined by the media. It was indeed a very prayerful atmosphere. The liturgy itself was simply beautiful -- flawless -- not a glitch to be seen.

I got some pretty good photos of the altar, a few shots of the popemobile on its ride around the stadium, and some video. But those are currently still on my colleague's camera.

And besides, this is about all you're gonna get out of me tonight. I was up at 4 a.m. to make it to the stadium. So further commentary and, hopefully, some pictures, will have to wait till the weekend.

The pope's words

It's been said all week by Catholic commentators leading up to the pope's visit -- this pope is a pope of words. John Paul II was very much a pope of gesture -- camera ready and very hard to misinterpret. Benedict XVI, however, is at heart a teacher -- not quite as readily translatable in our multimedia world, but badly needed nonetheless.

I'm reading his most recent encyclical, "Spe Salvi" (On Christian Hope) as I type. I meant to read it before he arrived, but I was a little busy getting ready for his arrival. But I'm also trying to listen closely to his speeches, and find the text to read again later. All in an effort to really hear his message.

There was a passage in his remarks at the White House this morning that I really liked:

Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience – almost every town in this country has its monuments honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate. In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for the cause of good (cf. Spe Salvi, 24). Few have understood this as clearly as the late Pope John Paul II. In reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland and in eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows, time and again, that “in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation”, and a democracy without values can lose its very soul (cf. Centesimus Annus, 46). Those prophetic words in some sense echo the conviction of President Washington, expressed in his Farewell Address, that religion and morality represent “indispensable supports” of political prosperity.
The Church, for her part, wishes to contribute to building a world ever more worthy of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26-27).

--Source: USCCB

I've bolded the phrases I found particularly profound. I especially like the phrase -- "in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation," and a democracy without values can lose its very soul. It's a quote and paraphrase of the writings of John Paul II, but the words were particularly apt in that they were spoken this morning in the shadow of the White House and a presidential campaign.

I was also struck by the idea of "building a world ever more worthy of the human person." Wow. What dignity we have as human beings that the world must be made worthy of us by virtue of our sharing in the image of God.

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Well, D.C. rolled out the red carpet for the pope today, right down to the absolutely PERFECT weather (I'm serious, it really doesn't get any better than it was today) and the pothole-free popemobile route from the White House to the Vatican embassy (that's one way to get the D.C. streets fixed.)

The pope started his day with an adorable serenade of "Happy Birthday," in German no less, by a group of Catholic school students who were camped out across the road from the embassy's front door. To I think everyone's surprise (given the EXTREME security around him), the pope walked over to the group before getting in his car to thank them and shake some hands. I think he's been grinning from ear to ear all day.

At the White House, Papa B was treated to a beautiful rendition of the "Our Father" sung by opera star Kathleen Battle, and the President's Own along with their chorus offered a rousing "Battle Hymn of the Republic." The South Lawn of the White House was supposedly packed with about 9,000 people, all of whom spontaneously broke into yet another round of "Happy Birthday." It was clear that President Bush's speechwriters had done their homework as the president mentioned the need to fight against "the dictatorship of relativism" -- not only a key theme of this pope, but a quintesential phrase of Pope Benedict. The pope's remarks centered on the real meaning of freedom...full of lots of food for thought. (See related post.)

After the White House meeting, which I found out late today included a birthday cake and more singing, the popemobile made its first appearance. The streets were lined with people, but it looked like they were driving a little faster than most of us are used to seeing the popemobile move. In essence, it looked like a whole lot of people waited a long time this morning for all of about a 10-second glimpse.

This afternoon was the pope's meeting with the U.S. bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Incidentally, if you've never been there, go. It's on the level of St. Peter's in size and grandeur. Anyway, I didn't expect his address to be televised, but was pleasantly surprised to find his face on the TV when I got home tonight. He addressed just about every major issue on the table -- clergy sex abuse crisis, immigration, combatting secularism and relativism, vocations, etc. At the end of his address, he even took questions -- albeit prepared questions that he had corresponding prepared answers to (I think he's chosen to stick to prepared texts in an effort to avoid misinterpretation of off-the-cuff remarks in the media).

But what struck me tonight was how happy he looked. Toward the end of the meeting, it looked like age and jetlag were taking a bit of a toll, but he was so clearly enjoying himself! He seemed to have a decided spring in his step as he was leaving the shrine and heading back to the car.

So tomorrow's the BIG day! Mass for 45,000 people in Nationals Park. I'll be up at an ungodly hour tomorrow morning to be sure I get to the stadium and make it through security in plenty of time. The weather's supposed to be postcard perfect again...a bit warmer than today. I've been tasked with trying to find local folks to interview since our reporters are confined to their assigned media places on the field. As part of that I'll have a digital camera with me, so I'll hopefully have some pictures to post!

Welcome, Pope Benedict!

The pope is here! The pope is here!

After months of anticipation, Pope Benedict XVI arrived today at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland 10 minutes ahead of schedule. And he stepped off the plane to be greeted not just by President Bush, Laura Bush and Jenna Bush, but clear blue skies, bright sunshine and a bit of a breeze. First time the weather's broken in the D.C. area in weeks!

We watched the papal arrival on TV in the office while trying to get this week's issue of the paper off to the printer. Granted, the TV was one of those rabbit-ear, black and white sets that won't work come next February, but the reception was better than what we were all able to get over our Internet connections.

It still strikes me to see the pope bounding down the stairs of an airplane and strolling across the tarmac. I'm too young to remember much of John Paul II's younger days. It just amazes me the energy this 80 (soon to be 81)-year-old has.

Anyway, the pope's safely tucked away at the Vatican embassy in D.C. and tomorrow starts the whirlwind of activity. I'm packing my patience for the Metro ride, and hoping to get to bed early tomorrow night ahead of the Mass at the stadium!

I'll keep you posted!

Pope Benedict XVI in the U.S.

As mentioned below, the pope is coming! He arrives in Washington Tuesday afternoon and will be here until early Friday morning. I'm not one of the credentialed media that will be traipsing around after the pontiff this week, but I work with two ladies who will be part of the pack. And, yes, I am one of the blessed 45,000 who has a ticket to the Mass at Nationals Park, so you can look forward to reading some firsthand accounts in this space.

If anyone's looking for some up-to-the-minute Catholic commentary on the visit, here are two good sites:

pope2008.com (blog maintained by the National Catholic Register)
American Papist (see the link on the right)

There's enough punditry and polls in the mainstream media right now to satisfy anyone's appetite for analysis of what this visit by the Holy Father may mean for American Catholics. Suffice it to say that most of what I've read of the pre-visit press has been decidedly negative -- Catholics don't agree with the pope; the Church in America is still reeling from the sex abuse scandal of 2002; young people are going to send the Church back to the 1950s, etc. Yes, we're a fiercely independent bunch, and yes, there are lots of us in this country that struggle with the demands of what the Church -- and therefore Christ -- asks of us. But I'm a little more hopeful than all that.

There's a lot of good going on in the Church now. I'm excited by what I see among my peers. It's about time we start living like Catholics, and stop being ashamed of what sets us apart. Our 2,000 years of tradition have a lot to offer a world that's lost its sense of the divine. Other groups with much louder voices, larger bully pulpits and deadlier strategies are flooding the airwaves and the culture with messages of hate, relativity and intolerance.

The world needs the message of hope that can only be brought by the truth of Jesus Christ. The truth that the Catholic Church has taught for centuries -- we have a God who loves us infinitely and desires only that we love him back, by obeying his laws and loving him in the people we see around us.

That, and nothing more, is what I expect to hear from Pope Benedict this week.