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Benedictions: The Pope in America

Actually, that may be “suo.” Is “blog” masculine? I trust this blog is. Perhaps Reggie Foster, the pope’s inimitable Latinist, can help out here. I don’t have enough Latin to know. And it’s not because I am a convert to Catholicism. As a post-Vatican II Catholic, I probably wouldn’t have learned enough Latin to know…

By David Gibson Religion News Service Central to the anticipation surrounding Pope Benedict XVI’s April visit to the United States is a widespread curiosity among U.S. Catholics about a pontiff whom they mostly know only through headlines and video clips. What he is like in person? And what he will say to his large and…

By Francis X. Rocca Religion News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI will become the third leader of the Catholic Church to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York, following Pope Paul VI in 1965, and Pope John Paul II in 1979 and 1995. Vatican officials have not indicated what Benedict might…

Yet another papal paradox: The Pope who was expected to create such a stir among Catholics after his election has instead found his greatest controversies centering on his relations with Islam. First he met–in secret, until the word leaked out–with the late Italian author and avowed atheist and fierce critic of Islam, Oriana Fallaci. A…

So the popular Build-a-Bear company is getting in on the papal memorabilia craze, having won rights to market, yes, an official Benedict “Christ Our Hope” teddy bear t-shirt. Here’s the catch: The company is only selling the t-shirt in its Washington-area stores. That Build-a-Bear papal gear would not be respectful enough for the NYC church…

Don’t let all the talk (much of it mine) of a Gregorian chant-loving, Latin Mass-celebrating, professor-pope turning the April 15-20 visit into a five-day Vespers service. It’s impossible to quell the Jamboree atmosphere surrounding any pope’s visit to America, and the Archdiocese of New York isn’t going to try. Hence, the official Papal Skateboard Art…

By Daniel Burke Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS) Most Americans hold a favorable opinion of Pope Benedict XVI, but the vast majority confess they don’t know much about the pontiff, according to a new poll. Just weeks before Benedict’s first trip to the U.S. as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, 58 percent of Americans…

By Daniel Burke Religion News Service Asked about her church’s ban on artificial birth control, Emily Kunkel inhales deeply and pauses. “It’s hard because the church has had this stance for so many years, there’s so much tradition behind it,” she says. “But I think in certain circumstances condoms should be used.” Kunkel, a 20-year-old…

By Brittani Hamm Religion News Service WASHINGTON — With only two months to design and construct the altar that will be used for the giant outdoor papal Mass next month, two first-year grad students at Catholic University have relied on state-of-the-art machinery to get the job done. It’s the type of artistic technology that would…

By Tom Feeney Religion News Service This the official schedule for Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Washington and New York April 15-20: TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 4 P.M. Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. Greeting by President Bush and Mrs. Bush. Also present will be local dignitaries of the church and the apostolic nuncio, the pope’s…
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