Notes on the papal visit

Brief, sundry thoughts on Pope Benedict's visit to the US:

* There was considerable fear that he would not say very much about the coast to coast devastation caused by priest sex abusers. Instead he spoke about the scandal several times, beginning on the plane before his arrival and using expressions like "deep shame" and "betrayal." Then he met face to face with six victims, apparently bringing them a considerable amount of healing.

* Even though Pope Benedict is known to be against the Iraq war, he avoided the subject all week. Commentators have said this was part of a decision to avoid addressing US politics, especially in this pre-election season. But he clearly addressed abortion. When it comes to all of the big issues, politics and morality can hardly be disconnected. Silence on this insane war and occupation was an immense disappointment to me.

* It is surely impossible to figure out, even approximately, the number of people profoundly moved by the papal visit either in person or via television. Just for today's New York Mass, almost 60,000 people completely filled Yankee Stadium, and thousands more had tried to obtain tickets. CNN dedicated hours to coverage of the entire visit. People's enthusiasm was simply huge. But I find a certain puzzlement here. Statistics have long shown that US Catholics beg to differ with the pope on key issues. One survey reports that 97% of Catholic women in the US have used contraception. (Disagreement by US Catholics on"artificial birth control" has been 80% or higher since Pope Paul VI's decree against it in 1968.) Much more surprising statistics: When I googled Catholic disagreement with the church's teaching on abortion, I found reference to studies claiming 58%, 61%, and 75% of US Catholics in disagreement.

* A final note: Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council to bring "aggiornamento" (Italian for bringing up to date) to the church. After John's death, Pope Paul VI implemented the many modernizing decisions of the Council. He also tried to move the church away from much of the medieval pomp that had prevailed for centuries. As I recall from pictures, all of the cardinals and bishops at Paul's funeral wore simple white vestments. But with the election of Pope John Paul II, I noticed that the gold and lace and brocade were back again. That return to the past has continued, and it struck me in seeing TV coverage of this week's visit that the old symbolism is now thoroughly part and parcel of the institutional church. To some this will seem trivial, but I think it says a lot about how the church defines itself. Sometimes I think I see the ghost of Emperor Constantine back in our midst.