So I was thinking this week...

...about the Papal visit.

I like Benny. I'm not catholic, nor am I considering conversion. I'm about as PROTESTant as one can get. However, I have generally been impressed by the intellectual talent that has bloomed under Catholic tutelage, and I the older I got, the more I appreciated JPII. No matter how intense the scrutiny, no matter how critical the attacks, he stood firm in his beliefs and in some ways helped me to understand that you don't change God; he changes you. And he did it with a grace and sincerity that could not be faked. [Trust me on this. As an attorney, my bullshit detector is usually cranked up to 12. Not much gets by me.] When he passed away, I was genuinely sorry to see him go. He was a figure that gave hope in a world sorely lacking it.

When Benny was appointed to succeed him, I was intrigued. The mainstream attacks told me that he must have been a good choice. Whenever I hear about a conservative being referred to as a scholar's scholar, and an institution's attack dog, I know someone is about to be told something they don't want to hear. He didn't disappoint.

I liked him even more when I realized that he was going to be a thorn in the side of the religion of pieces. Even more reason to like him. After listening to what he's had to say this week, I like him even more. He gets it. He knows that western civilization is in the battle for its very survival, and he knows that if Europe is to be saved from submission to the bloodthirsty savages of dar al islam, that sadly, once again the task will fall to us. And still he comes, the embodiment of grace, patience, and a firmity that can only originate from the bedrock of souls that the world tries so hard to deny.

Thanks for coming, Your Eminence. I hope you enjoy your stay.