"There is an element of awe and mystery behind the Pope and the Vatican that is attractive to people who are naturally spiritual"

"Detail of a tulip in our garden," we captioned this image from our post "The new dictatorial impulse" three years back, where we quoted Michael Novak at National Review  explaining "what lies behind Pope Benedict XVIs concept of a looming 'dictatorship of relativism,'" citing Song of Solomon 2:12, King James Version: "The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."

"Positive messages do not often make headlines. Controversies -- real or imagined -- do," Catholic University of America president Vincentian Fr David O'Connell wrote a month back in the Washington Post, as rock-star Catholic blogger Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia reminds us on this eve of the Holy Father's touchdown on these shores:

In the face of intense speculation that the PopeTalk before an audience of US Catholic university presidents, diocesan superintendents of education and the university's Board of Trustees would be notably stringent, the Father-President wrote in the Washington Post that he "could not disagree more with those who predict a 'stern message' and a 'rebuke'" coming from the former Prof. Ratzinger.

"The fact that the pope, as teacher of the faith, takes on the compromises advanced within contemporary culture, pushes hard against moral relativism, and seeks to present the intelligibility of the alliance between faith and reason in the quest for truth does not constitute an attack on the Catholic academy," he added. "They are the very things that Catholic universities and colleges, too, should be considering, precisely because they are Catholic.

We were enchanted with Fox News Religion Contributor Father Jonathan's response in the comments to his latest blogpost -- where he promises to "go against the facile approach you will see in many media outlets that will fixate on fabricated and stale controversy" -- regarding non-catholic reader Stephen Nalley's fascination with Papa Ratzi. Said Father Jonathan:

Stephen, from what I am hearing, you are one among many non-Catholics who will be following this event closely. It’s interesting that you say you’re not sure why you are so interested. I think there is an element of awe and mystery behind the Pope and the Vatican that is attractive to people who are naturally spiritual. I hope we here at Fox can help unpack some of the mystery so people can decide for themselves what they think about the message this Pope brings to America.

People who are naturally spiritual. Maybe that's why we've loved this pope who loves cats and Mozart from day one.

Comments

[Teresa]

If you don't mind, I'll just follow the whole thing from here and look at your gorgeous pictures. Life has taken the bit and is running away fast so I'm hanging on for the ride. This means I don't have time right now to watch the news or even read much about the Pope's visit - well I think he will continue without my watchful guidance quite well. *grin* What I am reading are things I find relaxing...thus I am stopping by.

[Gayle Miller]

Amen to that!