From Fr. Gerry....

Many Catholics wonder at the great appeal Pope Benedict XVI has for young people. It is probably best left unexplained. It lies in the realm of faith and intuition, a sense of the sacred, a yearning for hope.

The Pope is the sign of the presence of Jesus Christ in the world. He represents in a special way the desire of all people, but especially youth, for a better world, for peace, for unity, for charity. And if young people continue to hope, there is hope for the world.

Our Holy Father on his first visit to the United States celebrated mass at the Nationals Park in Washington D.C. and at Yankee Stadium in New York and spoke at the United Nations.

Only time will measure the effects of Pope Benedict’s words. When John Paul made his epic pilgrimage to Poland in June 1979 the New York Times concluded an editorial in these terms: “As much as the visit of John Paul II must reinvigorate and reinspire the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, it does not threaten the political order of the Polish nation or of eastern Europe.” This myopia did not reckon with the Pope’s appeal to Poland’s authentic history and deeply religious culture while summoning his people to a noble project: the restoration of their true identity. The Pope’s message did not fall on deaf ears and history was changed as a result.

Media “experts” and commentators had a field day diagnosing the great success and popularity of the Pope Benedict’s visit. Benedict was described as a theologian – that is an intellectual who aims at the soul through the mind and always a teacher. Many were surprised at his openness to the modern world while preserving a healthy tradition and a great love for the Fathers of the early Church. Some highlighted his great concern for the mass secularization of Europe and the challenge this presents in proclaiming the Gospel.

The Pope made everyone aware that he is now chief pastor and symbol of unity of the Church. He expressed “deep shame” at clergy sexual abuse and surprised the media by meeting privately with five abuse victims from Boston. Our Holy Father did not pretend to be the super star the media saw in John Paul II but Benedict worked quietly at reconciliation and restoring credibility to the mission of the Church.
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