The Pope can tell the Isrealis what he really thinks

Official Flag of Vatican City

Pope Benedict is not my favorite of Vatican leaders.  I may be nostalgic, but I have always thought Pope John XXIII was the best (and most open minded).  This week, however, Benedict's worth has gone up a notch in saying openly that the Palestinians need their own homeland. 

Now, without going overboard in praise, I need to add that it may be easier for Benedict to say this because he was in the the Hitler Youth and you can't tell me that all those ideologies just get erased when you grow up.

Even so.  A Pope can speak more openly about something like this than a U.S. Congressman.  The Isreali Lobby can't have the Pope defeated in re-election.

see "Pope Backs a Palestinian Homeland," New York Times, May 11, 2009

The Eyes of Pope Benedict

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Who would believe Richard Williamson, if he, a Holocaust denier, recants his views on the holocaust, after having professed for years that it didn't happen.  Could Williamson really change his mind just because the Pope says so?  Probably not.

A recent newspaper article described a Pope that doesn't think much of public relations.  I disagree.  This man is very intelligent.  He knew what was going to happen, as he did when he said Muslims were evil.  With this type of rhetoric he is seeking to isolate the church and build up the boundaries around it, protecting it from "heathen" religions that do not believe in the primacy of Christ.  In this global society where religion no longer knows national boundaries, this may not be the best way to go.

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see "Vatican in crises over bishop who denies the holocaust," London Guardian, February 5, 2009.

The pope must heal this wound
London Guardian
For SSPX, suspicion of the Jews remains a collective commitment rather than the rantings of a rogue individual

o Francis Davis
o guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 February 2009 17.00 GMT

The Pope has today ordered the ultra-conservative "Bishop" Williamson of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX), to publicly recant his holocaust denials.

However, the questions now raised over the pope's own views and authenticity are so intense that such an act will not be adequate. For the Society of St Pius X, from which Williamson comes, suspicion of the Jews remains a collective commitment rather than the rantings of a rogue individual.

The pope "acted alone" in rehabilitation SSPX, said one of his top cardinals. The "Vatican bureaucracy is not up to the job" said another. The German Catholic bishops, who often do not see eye to eye, were scandalised. Globally, some bishops' conferences have twisted, turned and trimmed to defend his stand but in private there has been a furious flurry of complaints running back to Rome.

If the pope did not, as his spokesman has said, know that these issues were still outstanding, then there should not be a problem with him issuing a full condemnation, not only of holocaust denial but also of all varieties of Catholicism which continue to give succour to antisemitic principles and movements. In this sense, the debate is not simply about whether SSPX accepts the Second Vatican Council – I'm too young to even worry about that one – but whether a pope who has brought Catholic tensions to the surface with such style is now willing to affirm that the spectre of racism is a sin to be routed out wherever it is found.

A pilgrimage of penance, arm in arm with "Bishop" Williamson and his brother "bishops" would be in order – perhaps to Jerusalem, which all the great faiths judge to be holy. Maybe then a pastoral visit to the US where many legitimate pro-life concerns have been turned by some Catholics into a muted code for abhorrence of the idea of a black president. Then, perhaps, a journey to Herzegovina to finally bring to account the rogue province of Franciscans that peddle an extremist nationalism as spirituality...more

What was Pope Benedict Thinking?

Perhaps the Pope also thinks the Holocaust didn't happen, since he UN-excomunicated Richard Williamson - a priest who "believes there were no gas chambers" -- I find that odd (both what the Pope did and what Williamson believes), since there is tangible, concrete information readily available proving Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen really happened. Where has this guy Williamson been hiding? And why does the Pope think Williamson is ok? Is it because the Pope was a member of the "Hitler Youth?"  Is he trying to punish the Israelis for the Gaza bombardment?

Whatever the reason.  It seems like either Benedict has lost his reason; or he has a touch of evil in him.

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Pope stirs up Jewish fury over bishop

The Vatican is reinstating a British priest who denies millions died at the hands of the Nazis

* Tom Kington in Rome and Jamie Doward
* The Observer, Sunday 25 January 2009

Tension between the Vatican and Jewish groups looked set to explode yesterday after Pope Benedict XVI rehabilitated a British bishop who has claimed no Jews died in gas chambers during the second world war.

Benedict yesterday welcomed back into the Roman Catholic Church Richard Williamson and three other men who were excommunicated in 1988 after being ordained without Vatican permission. The three had been appointed by breakaway French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The Vatican decree issued yesterday spoke of overcoming the "scandal of divisiveness" and seeking reconciliation with Lefebvre's conservative order, the Society of Saint Pius X, which opposes the modernisation of Catholic doctrine.

But Jewish groups have warned the Pope that the decision could damage Catholic-Jewish relations after Williamson claimed in an interview, broadcast last week, that historical evidence "is hugely against six million having been deliberately gassed in gas chambers as a deliberate policy of Adolf Hitler ... I believe there were no gas chambers".

Shimon Samuels, of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Paris, said he understood the German-born pope's desire for Christian unity but said Benedict could have excluded Williamson, whose return to the church will "cost" the Vatican politically...more

A Nice Move After the Advent of Prop 8

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FA to tackle homophobia with video featuring football stars
Jenny Percival
The Guardian, Saturday 27 December 2008

A video showing football stars speaking out against homophobia will be released next year as part of an unprecedented drive by the sport's governing bodies to tackle a sharp rise in abuse and discrimination.

The video will be shown in cinemas, on TV and in stadiums in an attempt to rid terraces and pitches of homophobic chants and slurs, the Guardian can reveal.

The Football Association (FA), the Professional Footballers' Association, the players' union, Kick It Out, the sport's diversity and inclusion campaign, and Peter Tatchell, of gay rights group Outrage!, began work on plans for the video at the end of last month. It is hoped that up to a dozen players, including David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, David James, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and Cristiano Ronaldo, will be persuaded to take part. The video is due to be released in March and could be shown in schools if the FA wins the backing of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

"We're delighted that the FA has decided to produce and fund the video, it will have a hugely positive impact on young people and help to challenge bigoted attitudes among fans," said Tatchell.

The FA has put aside a budget of £20,000 and is hoping that a major advertising agency will take on the project at minimal cost.

Gay rights groups have been pressing the FA to tackle homophobia and believe the ad campaign is a breakthrough, prompted by a number of recent high-profile allegations of homophobia. Hampshire police are still investigating the homophobic and racist chanting directed at Portsmouth's Sol Campbell during a match against Tottenham Hotspur in September.

Danny Lynch, of Kick It Out, said that football - often seen as the one of the last bastions of homophobia - was out of synch with public opinion. "When we were set up 15 years ago, monkey chanting and banana throwing was commonplace, but football has changed and you just don't see that kind of behaviour any more. But in the absence of traditional racist abuse, we have seen this sharp rise in homophobic abuse and dealing with it is now a key part of our remit, " said Lynch.

Justin Fashanu was the first openly gay professional player when he came out in 1990. Eight years later, after he committed suicide, a coroner said prejudices, and the sexual assault charge he was facing, probably overwhelmed him.

Jason Bartholomew Hall, of the Justin Fashanu Campaign, said: "Footballers are revered by youngsters. It would be fantastic if they saw their heroes saying that homophobia is unacceptable."

Guardian article on response to the Pope's comments against gay rights: "Pope's Speech: 'Gay Rights Groups React Angrily'

The Pope Speaks on Immigration

Photo of Pope Benedict from Collegamento pro Sindone










Tancredo is screaming again about immigration. The Pope did bring the issue up with President Bush, but clearly, the conversation meant nothing since there were ICE raids all over the country that day.

The NYT says that some of the Catholic hierarchy was shocked. Perhaps the Times doesn't realize that many more people were shocked, many of whom are not Catholics. ICE's explanation that it was coincidental is unfortunate .


"they were shocked that on the same day that Benedict and President Bush affirmed in a joint statement the need for a policy that treats immigrants humanely and protects their families, federal agents were conducting raids at five chicken plants. They arrested more than 300 immigrants accused of being illegal workers."

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April 20, 2008
Pope Speaks Up for Immigrants, Touching a Nerve
By DANIEL J. WAKIN and JULIA PRESTON
New York Times

Even as he was flying to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of protecting immigrant families, not dividing them.

He raised the issue again in a meeting on Wednesday with President Bush, and later that day spoke in Spanish to the church’s “many immigrant children.” And when he ends his visit to New York on Sunday, he will be sent off by a throng of the faithful, showing off the ethnic diversity of American Catholicism.

The choreography underscores the importance to the church here of its growing diversity — especially its increasing Hispanic membership.

Of the nation’s 65 million Roman Catholics, 18 million are Latino, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, and they account for more than two-thirds of the new Catholics in the country since 1960.

Millions of other recent arrivals come from Asia and Africa. More and more parishes depend on priests brought from abroad to serve the flock.

Benedict has calibrated his immigration stance with care, stating the need to protect family unity and immigrants’ human rights, but pointedly avoiding any specifics of the American immigration debate, like the issue of whether to grant legal status to illegal immigrants. Yet last week his visit quickly stirred the crosscurrents of the debate.

His comments drew a rebuke from Representative Tom Tancredo, a Republican from Colorado who has been a leading opponent of illegal immigration.

Accusing the pope of “faith-based marketing,” Mr. Tancredo said Benedict’s comments welcoming immigrants “may have less to do with spreading the Gospel than they do about recruiting new members of the Church.” Mr. Tancredo, a former Catholic who now attends an evangelical Christian church, said it was not in the pope’s “job description to engage in American politics.”

On the other side of the issue, some members of the Catholic hierarchy said they were shocked that on the same day that Benedict and President Bush affirmed in a joint statement the need for a policy that treats immigrants humanely and protects their families, federal agents were conducting raids at five chicken plants. They arrested more than 300 immigrants accused of being illegal workers.

The timing was coincidental, immigration officials said, and it was not clear whether the pope had known about the arrests when he met with Mr. Bush.

But the raids surprised some American Catholic leaders, who are often on the forefront of advocacy for immigrant rights.

“I was stunned,” said Cardinal Roger Mahony, the archbishop of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest Roman Catholic diocese and one with many Hispanics. “I just feel these raids are totally negative. I thought it was very inappropriate to do it in such a blatant way when the pope was coming, when he has been so outspoken in defending the rights of immigrants.”

The American bishops have been consistently outspoken in favor of legislation to give legal status to illegal immigrants and expand legal avenues for immigrants to bring their family members from abroad.

They and other Catholic activists were among the most visible supporters of a broad bill, supported by Mr. Bush but not enacted by Congress last year, which included a path to legal status for 12 million illegal immigrants.

They took Benedict’s statements last week as affirmation of their work. For while the immigration theme has been overshadowed during Benedict’s trip by his denunciations of the sexual abuse scandal in the church, it was the second issue after the abuse cases that he addressed on the plane from Rome, when he responded to reporters’ questions that were submitted in advance and picked by the Vatican.

The separation of families “is truly dangerous for the social, moral and human fabric” of Latin and Central American families, the pope told reporters aboard his plane. “The fundamental solution is that there should no longer be a need to emigrate, that there are enough jobs in the homeland, a sufficient social fabric,” he said. Short of that, families should be protected, not destroyed, he said. “As much as it can be done it should be done,” the pontiff said.

The pope did not just send a message to the president and the public, he spoke to the bishops. In his private meeting with them on Wednesday evening, he emphasized that recent newcomers to the United States are “people of faith, and we are here to welcome them,” Cardinal Mahony said.

The pope also dwelled on the negative impact of family separation. Several bishops took that as a direct reference to the impact of previous immigration raids and deportations, in which illegal immigrant parents were separated from spouses and children who were United States citizens or legal immigrants.

“Obviously the Holy Father is not encouraging people to do anything illegal,” Cardinal Mahony said. But the raids “do not serve as a deterrent,” he said, adding, “They simply create fear and uncertainty in our communities.”

Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City said the pope was “not going to get into the specific points that our country has to hash out.” Bishop Wester, who is chairman of the Committee on Migration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the pontiff had told the bishops “very clearly that we need to attend to the basic human rights immigrants have.”

Bishop Wester also criticized the immigration raids, which took place at plants in five states belonging to Pilgrim’s Pride, a major poultry processing company. Immigration officials said they did not consider the pope’s visit when planning the operations, which they said came after a yearlong investigation.

But Bishop Wester said: “It did strike me as inappropriate. The pope comes as a man of peace, a man of good will, the leader of a major religion. Many of the persons arrested were Catholic.”

As recently as mid-March, he said, his committee met with Julie L. Myers, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that carried out the raids. The bishops asked Ms. Myers not to conduct raids in churches and to ensure legal representation for immigrants, Bishop Wester said.

The pope returned to the theme several times over the course of his visit, which ends Sunday. About 4,000 church members from the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Queens, will hold a prayer service in 29 languages at Kennedy Airport. About half will be immigrants, said Msgr. Ronald T. Marino, the Brooklyn Diocese’s vicar for migration. Many will wear the costumes of their homelands. The pope will not attend, but the crowd will bid him farewell.

“Not a word has to be spoken,” the monsignor said. “What you will see says it all.”

In Washington, Benedict encouraged the American bishops and their communities “to continue to welcome immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home.” That, he said, was the American tradition. And in a meeting with Catholic educators, he emphasized the importance of keeping Catholic schools open, especially to serve immigrants and the underprivileged.

Catholic leaders say such words have bolstered their work, yet the pope’s emphasis is no surprise in a country where much of the church’s growth and vitality comes from the influx of immigrant Catholics.

Following the polyglot practice of his predecessor, John Paul II, Benedict used Spanish to directly address the Latino portion of his flock during the homily at his Mass at Nationals Park in Washington on Thursday.

The Church has grown thanks to their vitality, he said, and God calls on them to keep contributing.

Priests and bishops who lobby elected officials and minister directly to immigrants can be more explicit.

Monsignor Marino, for example, who also heads the Brooklyn Diocese’s Catholic Migration Office, said, “In my judgment, immigrants are heroes.”

He applauded the pope’s words. “The simple pointing to it as one of his priorities, something coming out of his mouth, is real important,” Monsignor Marino said. “For him to say one sentence means he knows the rest.”

Thomas G. Wenski, the bishop of Orlando, Fla., and a former head of the bishops’ Migration Committee who remains a consultant to it, said he hoped the pope’s visit would have a practical effect.

“The pope’s visit will unleash some good will here so that Congress might live up to its responsibility and deal with the issue,” Bishop Wenski said.

In a letter in December, Cardinal Mahony chastised all the presidential candidates for campaigns that he said had “inflamed anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.” Since then the three remaining candidates, Senators John McCain of Arizona, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, have lowered the volume on the immigration issue.

Secular advocates for immigrants also welcomed the pope’s words. “That’s big news,” said Teresa Gutierrez, a coordinator for the May 1st Coalition for Immigrant and Workers Rights. “Any decent comment about the reality of what’s really happening to immigration in the United States coming from such a prestigious person as the pope is extremely helpful.”


Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

The Blind Pope

Parable of the Blind, detail of three blind men, 1568
Pieter the Elder Bruegel (from the Bridgeman Art Library)


In the article below by James Carroll at the WP he discusses Pope Benedict's fuzzy position on the Holocaust. As previously stated, there are also other things to worry about when assessing Pope Benedict (see dreamacttexas post "A Plum Opportunity for the Pope" - April 14, 2008).

The Catholic Church is known for having ignored the existence of the Nazi death camps. By visiting a synagogue Benedict may have opened his eyes a bit, but he is still acting as though he is legally blind.


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What Benedict Hasn't Said About the Holocaust
James Carroll
Washington Post
April 17, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to a synagogue in New York this week will evoke his visit to the oldest synagogue in Germany nearly three years ago. On that occasion, addressing leaders of Cologne’s Jewish community, Pope Benedict properly addressed the question of the Shoah. He deplored Hitler’s campaign to eliminate the Jewish people, and he condemned Nazi antisemitism – words which still need to be spoken. That this Catholic leader is himself a German, having had his own youthful glimpse of Hitler’s death-regime, made his remembrance of that history all the more compelling.

Yet there was something troubling in what Pope Benedict said on that occasion. As it happened, I was in Cologne while the pontiff was there. With the filmmaker Oren Jacoby, I was at work on a documentary film based on my book “Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews – A History.” We were filming in the Rhineland because so much of that history was centered there. Europe’s first pogroms occurred in the 11th century when mobs poured from the Cologne cathedral on Good Friday looking for “Christ-killers.” Blood libel charges arose there during the plagues of the 14th century. The Dreyfus family had its origins nearby, as did the German Catholic celebrations of the 1933 treaty between the Vatican and the Third Reich. Nazi antisemitism had its own diabolical character, but it built on the deep-seated contempt for Jews that had become second nature to Christians, and even a shallow acquaintance with German history (both Lutheran and Catholic) shows that.

But in condemning Nazi antisemitism before that Jewish congregation in Cologne, Pope Benedict defined it univocally as having been “born of neo-paganism.” That was true, a reference to the odd mysticism that underwrote the Teutonic myths on which claims for Aryan racial superiority rested. But Nazi hatred of Jews was born of two parents, and the other one – the long history of Christian anti-Judaism – the pope did not mention. This was not a slight omission. It is urgently important, in going forward into the 21st century, that the context out of which the Nazi genocide of the Jewish people grew, and within which it nearly succeeded, not be forgotten. The crimes of Hitler were not the crimes of Christianity, but the Final Solution depended, both for the recruitment of active perpetrators and for the passivity of a continent’s worth of bystanders, on the ingrained anti-Jewishness of Christian theology, liturgy, and tradition. You would not know that from what the pope said in the Synagogue in Cologne...


for complete WP article click here

Benedict and Those Red Shoes

photo from Prada web page











The Pope wears red shoes


Somewhere in my little girl memory I must have seen a Pope wear red shoes. I was very aware of the Pope when John XXIII had the job. Everybody was crazy about him. His idea of Vatican II - for many - was saving the Church from irrelevance. The only thing I was disappointed about was that in our religion classes at Catholic school, we no longer would be learning the mass in Latin. Believe or not I can still remember one phrase - Et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis -

Back when I was in the primary grades I found the whole idea of the church very confusing. At the time, in my town, the churches were segregated - there were black protestant churches, Mexican churches, white protestant churches, ethnic Catholic churches, and Catholic churches for white people. (My father always said - with much irony- that many people did not consider Czech people white).

Of course, people now say that the church, of any denomination, is still the most segregated place in America. But in the 1930s southeast Texas it was a nightmare. While doing research for my book Cemeteries of Ambivalent Desire I found some church records that said when Mexican people would go to the door of the rectory of a church in Richmond (Texas) - the priest would see them, call the Sheriff in terror - and a few minutes later, the Mexican faithful finding themselves greeted with a gun.


I do have to say one thing for the clergy at my school and the Mexican church I attended -- they were never weird with us... Maybe the small town societal controls kept them in line - but either way - we actually felt safe among the priests.

The ones we were really afraid of were the nuns. Not for anything sordid like sexual abuse... more like emotional abuse. A few really did make us feel really bad. There was a continuous edge to what they told us. They would diminish major losses we were experiencing (like the loss of a parent), tell us there was no hope for us academically, and naturally favored those with the best cursive handwriting.

As for those red shoes in Church history, for me they represent the nobility of the Church (I mean nobility as in privilege). Over the years I have read many books on the history of the church in Europe and the Americas and have found it to be an institution that is immersed in regal rituals (and clothing) but generally has not been very sensitive to real people (real people being lay people who don't give a lot of money to the church).

There have been a few orders that were different. Mostly I can say the Basilian priests have been more aware and empathic than any other I have ever run into. But even then, decades ago, when they first came to Texas they were saying they were going to bring "civilization" to the Mexicans.

Lastly the red shoes remind me of hubris. In Houston, the hubris has been exhibited by the building of a new (and gorgeous) Co-Cathedral for the Diocese. It costs so many millions of dollars I don't even want to know.

The red shoes don't help anyone except make people talk about the Pope's feet (they are humorous I must admit) - and the expensive new cathedral tells the community that 1)the church has lots of money and 2) and spending money on a building is a higher priority than doing something for its huge immigrant population. Can you imagine how many lobbyists the Church could hire with that money! With that kind of change they might even have influence on the more xenophobic members of the U.S. Congress.

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Pope Benedict XVI Visits the U.S.
Why Does the Pope Wear Red Shoes?
All Things Considered, April 17, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI's ruby red shoes are drawing plenty of attention as he visits Washington, D.C. The handmade loafers, crafted for Benedict by an Italian shoemaker, are seen as a statement of his desire to demonstrate continuity with the symbols and history of the church.

Although Pope John Paul II often wore brown shoes, other pontiffs have also worn red shoes. Benedict's shoes, which stand out against his spotless white robes, also serve as a reminder of the many years he wore the red cloth of a cardinal.

For entire article and link to audio click here

A message to the Pope about the ICE Raids

Dear Pope Benedict,
Imagine that your flock, hundreds of whom were arrested in ICE raids today, are in agony, as Jesus was. Will you do something to stop the raids?

The day after the Pope arrives in the U.S. - the Department of Homeland Security has gathered its resources to produce a major offensive against undocumented immigrants (but not their employers).

The timing has the air of a mystery novel.

Welcome to America Pope Benedict. Our Jekyll and Hyde administration has offered you birthday cake in the Blue Room. They have fawned on you all day. You must be feeling very special tonight.

As George and Laura Bush smile at you a more sinister situation is moving swiftly behind the scenes.

Like an army who has begun a planned attack = undocumented people are being arrested all over the country today. I don't believe there have ever been this many raids in one day (at least in recent memory)

What is the administration saying to you Holy Father? They are saying you are admirable and they like being seen with you = but they stab you and your people as they give you a birthday abrazo. Beware of the knife in the other hand.

Mr. Hyde - aka Mr. Bush is all smiles and talks about the need for clarity regarding right and wrong... yet his alter persona, Dr. Jekyll sent a secret message to his minion, Michael Chertoff. "Go forth and get all the illegals today. Just be sure not to arrest any administrative employees of the plants you are raiding."

Bush and Chertoff et al know that the heart of the Catholic Church in the United States is the Latino population, especially the immigrants. They are the new blood that has revived the American Church and has made it thrive while its European counterparts are like ghost churches.

What a better way to show who is more powerful. Beware of presidents who bring birthday cakes - to holy men. They could have an entirely different and brutal agenda while they smile and kiss your hand.

A plum opportunity for the Pope

The Pope is coming! The Pope is coming! People are talking about it, the news brings it up everyday.

I write the above with a bit of irony. It's a very good thing that Pope Benedict is visiting the U.S. Yet all the hoopla is interesting since we have become such a secular nation.

Do Americans have that much interest in the Pope? considering many protestants don't think much of the Catholic Church. In fact, it looks like Catholics don't think much of their own church either. And even though the newspapers are saying that Americans were positive about Pope Benedict being elected - a sizable minority was very concerned because of his long term involvement with the Congregation for the Doctrine of Truth - which used to be called the Inquisition or Holy Office (Santo Oficio); his very conservative agenda - and his involvement with the Hitler Youth corps.

He didn't make us feel more secure with how he blasted the Muslim religion in a speech soon after his election: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." There was also the visit to the Nazi soldier cemetery, the Intl Herald Tribune (May 12, 2006):

'he visited a German military cemetery at La Cambe, where 21,000 German soldiers are buried, among them several hundred former members of the notorious Waffen SS, some of whom participated in the massacre of hundreds of men, women and children in the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane.

"As Germans we cannot help but be moved to realize that their idealism and their duty to the state was misused by an unjust government," Benedict said of the war dead at La Cambe. He expressed regret that the Germanic virtue of obedience - Pflicht - had been exploited and misused by the Nazis, and said that this did nothing to diminish their honor or service to the Fatherland.'

He has smoothed his image since these two events. His trip to the U.S. can also help him.

It's a prime moment for the Pope. He is getting a lot of attention. This is his big chance to make a connection with his huge Latino following.

He has already balked at one controversial issue, deciding not to meet with some families of those sexually abused by Catholic priests. Lets hope that he becomes more accessible - maybe someone can talk to him.

Will he be sensitive to the screaming nativists who hate immigrants? Will he ignore the immigration issue - or will he take a stand and strongly encourage the U.S. to stop the ICE raids?

Having been a young man in Nazi Germany, the Pope knows all about people being hunted down. He experienced first hand the tragedy of living in a police state.

Today, for undocumented immigrants, few have died compared to the Jews in Germany. But the numbers are still in the thousands. Undocumented people are being hunted down. Their neighbors are reporting them. They are being arrested while at church. Thousands are incarcerated without charges. The hatred is only growing - yet we who were born here (in the U.S.) still lavish ourselves in the fruit of their labor. We have our lower cost fruits and vegetables, we eat at restaurants whose prices would be much higher without immigrant cooks, busboys and waiters, we pay them paltry amounts to mow our lawns, clean our houses and care for our children.

We use their labor but we hate them all the same.

In yesterday's speech in Rome, the Pope asked his audience to pray for a successful American trip. Maybe we should go one step further. Pray this Pope, who has seen the worst kind of violence - is reminded of his Nazi memories when told about the plight of undocumented immigrants* - that he can gather up enough empathy and passion - and make a strong statement about immigration. Pray that he helps convince Americans that hating is bad for the soul.


*Let's hope someone takes the time to explain all that is happening in the U.S. Also - Disclosure: perhaps I should tell you that I went to Catholic school until I was 12 - and that my Dad's best friend is a Basilian priest, but I very, very rarely go to mass anymore.

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MoCo Pulls Greeting to Pope From Buses

Montgomery County officials today pulled plans to use hundreds of Ride On buses to greet Pope Benedict XVI, following concerns from some riders who questioned whether it was appropriate for a public entity to welcome a religious leader.

When Ride On buses began rolling this morning, their electronic message boards scrolled: "Welcome Pope Benedict."

Patrick Lacefield, a spokesman for County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), said county officials were under the impression that Metrobuses would be posting a similar message, in addition to giving participants in the pope's visit the option to buy a commemorative one-day Mass Pass. But Metro spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel said there are no plans for such a greeting when the pope arrives tomorrow.

After learning of concerns from riders and checking with Metro, Lacefield said the county decided to scrap the greeting. He said the idea originated with one of Leggett's advisers.

"If Metro isn't doing it, then we probably think it's not appropriate," he said. "We don't want to give any wrong impression about favoring one religion over another. We are a community of many faiths."

By Anne Bartlett | April 14, 2008; 4:06 PM ET

photo: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42914000/jpg/_42914547_benedict_afp416.jpg