Living faith

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.