Thursday, May 01, 2008
TIMING IS EVERYTHING - STATISTICS ON THE PAPAL VISIT
Reuters reports on the polled statistics concerning the Papal visit. He scored well. I think this visit was a success. It appears that what made it a success was his meeting with the sexual abuse victims. Without his sincere regret and apology, without this meeting, his visit would not have been able to start the healing process. As it is, I do think a healing process has begun with Benedict's actions.
I also think that had he made the visit six months ago it would not have been nearly so successful. He came when the headlines were starting to fade from the morning papers, but before the tragedy had faded from the minds of the laity. The timing, in retrospect, appears to me to have been nothing less than brilliant.
A pope talks all the time, and is constantly quoted in print form. Thus his words carry less of an impact. His gestures, however, hit us right between the eyes. At least that is how I see it from the statistics reported.
