il Papa

Photo: NRMA Motoring & Services

Well the Pope has arrived in the US and was quickly spirited away in a Fiat 500, nice touch.

On the way over he denied being a leftist on the plane:


“Maybe some things sounded slightly leftish, but that would be the wrong interpretation.”

Things may have sounded slightly leftish, but he's had far more to say in condemnation of capitalism than communism.

Accused of being soft on the Castros he pointed out that the Vatican ambassador had invited dissidents to the cathedral in Santiago, which is true.  They were also promptly arrested by the Castro regime.

The political haymaking has begun in earnest with both sides trying to get him to line up on their sides on subjects as diverse as Abortion and Global Warming.  Frankly, I care little of what he has to say on either subject.  

The Pope is scheduled to give 18 speeches in the US, only 4 of which will be in English... what? None in Gaelic or Italian?  Perhaps a little Latin?  No, the majority of the Popes speeches in an English speaking country will be in Spanish and my Irish-Catholic upbringing precludes me from telling you what I think of that!

So he's here, what do you think of his car, his visit, his positions, and his inexplicable loss of the ability to speak English? While he is undoubtedly more comfortable in his native tongue, am I the only one that considers that extremely rude?

Pope & Change ?