Mugged by Pope Benedict XVI

Not having a photographer's birdie on hand, we used the classic kitty-treat-in-the-mug trick to prompt Tiny to give us Cartier-Bresson's "decisive moment."

Our Pope Benedict XVI Teddy Bear Mugs arrived this morning. Cute as a button. We're sipping a cuppa from one of them this very minute as we await Papa Ratzi's 10:30 a.m. arrival at the White House for South Lawn activities before approximately 5,000 people. Click here to order a mug or two of your own.

Update: Take-home quotation:

Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience -- almost every town in this country has its monuments honouring those who sacrificed their lives in defence of freedom, both at home and abroad.

He quotes his predecessor:

In reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland and in eastern Europe, [John Paul II] reminded us that history shows, time and again, that "in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation," and a democracy without values can lose its very soul.

Pax vobiscum.

Update: Miss Kelly in the comments:

What a great ceremony on the White House lawn! The crowd spontaneously singing "Happy Birthday" to the Pope . . . President Bush tapping his toe to the drum and fife corps . . . the gorgeous singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Our Father. We get too little of this kind of pageantry.

I saw Archbishop Seán O'Malley in the crowd and local imam Talal Eid too.

Love the Pope's wave to the crowd, he puts his hands up and wiggles his fingers. The EWTN correspondent likened it to playing the piano in the air.

Our friend has a reporter's eye for detail and a believer's eye for the glory of the Lord.

Comments

[miss kelly]

What a great ceremony on the White House lawn! The crowd spontaneously singing "Happy Birthday" to the Pope... President Bush tapping his toe to the drum and fife corps... the gorgeous singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Our Father. We get too little of this kind of pageantry.

I saw Archbishop Sean O'Malley in the crowd and local imam Talal Eid too.

[miss kelly]

Love the Pope's wave to the crowd, he puts his hands up and wiggles his fingers. The EWTN correspondent likened it to playing the piano in the air.

[hnav]

Amazing DAY !

And yet I see those who are dedicated to the Liberal Democrat Denial, trying to diminish the experience.

They cannot help themselves.

When you consider who they promote, like the unethical Clintons, vs. who they oppose, it is really quite telling.

[jameshigham]

Sissy - you don't think you might be developing a slight fixation with the Pope by any chance?

[Sissy Willis]

James: You could be right, although I prefer my sister's analysis:

May I suggest, your prolific output is Divinely Inspired, as was Handel's composing The Messiah in 68 minutes. :-)

[hnav]

i captured some portion on video of POPE BENEDICT's speech...

if you wish to see:

POPE BENEDICT SPEECH LINK

[Gayle Miller]

Sissy - it's difficult to describe the atmosphere in this town since 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Aside from a few non-Catholics who seemed to feel compelled to tell me how the Catholic Church ought to change its doctrine to suit them (I assured them that it was absolutely unlikely to happen in our lifetimes), traffic seems to be better despite the tourists and the road closures, and people are acting nicer too.