I was reading an article about the pope's visit to America, and was pleased to see that it was positive. I'm excited about this opportunity for American Catholics to see and hear the pope address them directly. It doesn't happen every day, you know.
But this article, well, it was funny. Because it was humming along just fine until the very last paragraph. Here it is:
Notice anything funny there? Because to me, it looks like we're debating whether we should sing a song that mentions God when we're hosting the freaking Pope. Does it matter if it's a "public event?" We put God on our money, and we have prayer before the sessions of Congress. This doesn't rise beyond that level of public acknowledgment of God.Soprano Kathleen Battle has been enlisted to sing "The Lord's Prayer" - a decision the White House defended as appropriate despite the overt insertion of religion into a public event. "I think we've struck the right balance," Perino said. "Many people across America and across the world say that prayer in order to provide themselves comfort and confidence in getting their day started."
Keep watching this Pope, my friends. That includes you who aren't religious, and you who are primarily concerned with other things. He may surprise you. Suffice it to say that he can explain better than most of us why we believe what we believe about life, death, and what comes after.
Viva il Papa!