'You Go, Holy Father'
Americans give rock-star treatment to the newly arrived pontiff.
The pope, aside from being a global spiritual leader, is a celebrity, too. And that's sometimes hard to forget.
Back in 2005 when Pope Benedict XVI was caught wearing red Prada shoes during a public audience, he showed up in the pages of entertainmentmagazines, as well as in NEWSWEEK. Earlier this month, the pontiff appeared in a television commercial as a bobble-head figurine promoting the use of public transportation to get around street closures during his visit. (The Washington archdiocese promptly asked for the doll to be discontinued). And if you ask these two 16-year-olds, Benedict is, well, way cooler than Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
But the first test of Benedict's celebrity in America was today in Washington, where a line of Secret Service cars escorted the pontiff from his plane at Andrew's Air Force Base to where he'll be staying while in the nation's capital: the papal nunciature at the Vatican Embassy in America. About 150 members of the faithful were invited for the first public glimpse of the Holy Father as he arrived. Kids were chanting. TV cameras were rolling. And the three dozen or so Secret Service agents were trying to hide their excitement as they heard in their ear that the entourage was on the way. Some members of the crowd came with huge signage welcoming the pontiff. And a few had guitars, leading the crowd in a few church songs.
Perhaps it was naive to think a group of Roman Catholic children from around D.C. would hush in awe at the sight of the Holy Father, who has undoubtedly played a substantial role in their Catholic education. But when the sirens came and the black limousine pulled up, the kid's songs turned to chants. Then screams. Then all-out mayhem. "YEAH, HOLY FATHER! YOU GO, HOLY FATHER!" "BEN-uh-DICT! BEN-uh-DICT!" "Gimme some POPE! Oooowwweee!"
It was like being at a huge sporting event, waiting for the brave souls in the crowd to rip of their shirts to show huge Bs painted on their chests. Luckily, some nuns were also on hand to help calm me down. "He's an amazing man, which is why we're excited to see him," one told me after the pontiff disappeared inside. "We're only shouting so loud because he's the closest we can get to God on earth."
Whew. That's right. This is the pope we're talking about.
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: Gillis @ 04/17/2008 9:06:49 AM
Comment: Forgiving the past is fine, if the party involve change their way. That is not the case for the Catholic Church. They are still conniving between themselves to deceive the world. Now the Pope is apologizing for the scandal, but when they recalled Cardinal Law to Rome, that would have been a good time to acknowledge the fact that some priests have been abusing children for decades. By protecting those pedophiles they allowed the abuse to continue. That's a shame. Those people should have gone to jail.
Posted By: Tired_Of_Your_BS @ 04/16/2008 11:41:06 AM
Comment: I will purchase unlicensed papal paraphanelia!
Posted By: burbank @ 04/16/2008 7:10:42 AM
Comment: No we have not. But we must look at the past with eyes of forgiveness so we can reconcile ourselves in the present in order to be able see the future that tomorrow brings.