Living faith

26 April 2008

Taki lives the High Life

New York
It obviously came from above — the order, that is — because I have never seen such perfect temperatures and clearer skies than for the Pope’s visit. And this wonderful Pope, who believes in the strictest doctrine for the Church, was greeted by the faithful like a rock star, cheered and applauded everywhere, with people yelling ‘Wilkommen’ in Brooklyn accents and thousands upon thousands waving yellow-and-white Vatican flags. His Holiness stayed in an upper east side house, one block away from mine, and watching tough and burly Noo Yawk cops tear up whenever he passed by was a sight to remember. It goes to show that faith is far from dead, at least in this country, and the Pope’s beautiful countenance, the peace and hope he projected, rallied us all, no matter what the faith.

Goodness was the order of the week, and my friend Father Boniface Ramsey, who was staying with me, reminded me of it when I told him that the only thing Benedict XVI ever did wrong was to fail, as an anti-aircraft gunner, to shoot down the Anglo–American ‘luft-gangsters’ bombing women and children in the closing days of the second world war. ‘Now, now, this is about loving your fellow man, not shooting people down...’ Point taken. And there was so much joy and happiness in the streets as the Holy Father was driven up and down this great city, it was almost as if we had suddenly put all our differences aside and were living in a perfect world.

Benedict reacted to all the pomp the way he always does. He was modest, meek and almost surprised by the waves of nuns, deacons and priests, and humble people from all classes, as they tried to reach out to him. This was a great triumph for Catholicism in America after the dark period of the scandals. The great John Paul met the man who tried to kill him 25 years ago and forgave him. Benedict XVI met some of those abused by the Church and asked for their forgiveness. He is as great a man as his Polish predecessor, and far greater than any other religious head around. Some of those Muslims preaching hate and death should learn a lesson from him. As well as a shave, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve had it with their sensibilities, their non-stop demands of death for others — never themselves — and our pathetic weakness in accepting their cults of death and destruction. Throw the bums out, says I, and keep them out.

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robert

April 24th, 2008 7:16pm Report this comment

"Jones" is a one-trick pony who owes his livelihood to Berlosconi. He's wheeled out every time some downmarket rag needs an op.ed. piece on Italian politics, Berlusconi in particular, and as such he displays all the most repulsive characteristics of the English "professional Italophile". His version of Italy is no more illuminating than the next Tuscany-lover. He has more in common with the Chiantishire mob than he'd care to admit...

David Lindsay

April 27th, 2008 1:21am Report this comment

Where nuclear matters are concerned, our response should be our own civil nuclear power programme, not providing them with a shield of nuclear weapons against a country which not only has none of its own, but has no cause or desire to attack Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or the United Arab Emirates. Clinton is despicably putting into people’s heads the idea that Iran might wish to do such a thing, on absolutely no basis whatever.

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