I’ve asked a few of my Catholic friends this week how pumped they are for the arrival of Pope Benedict the XVI, and I am not gonna lie to you – the response has been far from overwhelming. That said, the Pope’s arrival on our shores will reveal a lot depending on what he’s here to say. To that end, there’s interest amongst Catholics and Philistines alike as to what exactly the Pope is coming to say . Will he stick to the vague “Christ our hope” messaging or will he venture out to talk about the good stuff – Gays getting hitched, abortion, where God stands on this crazy Iraq War, and why Catholic Priests disproportionally sexually mess with young boys…?

The truth is that while there is definitely some degree of backlash – Americans adopting conservative values of various faiths – the overwhelming and inevitable trend seems to point toward most ditching their blind faith. I for one, think this is a good thing. No offense to Big Ben, but to me the fewer people who show up to his various events, the better off we all are. For that reason precisely, it’s a sure bet that the Pope will dig his heels in and try to create some outrage – most likely condemning Gays (easiest target). Likewise, his excellency George Bush will also certainly make much ado about the Pope’s visit if only to remind Americans that he exists. To me though, they are both lame ducks, both with out-dated views, both men whose flocks are in obvious and overt retreat. The fact that they will find resonance in one another is no real surprise.
The biggest issue the Pope will find on this visit to America, a nation where Catholics still make up the single largest religious group, is that he and the Church are just not as relevant as they once were. Am I alone in thinking that’s not such a bad thing?