Pope Benedict XVI is really, really Catholic.

An excellent editorial by Fr. Roger J. Landry.

The Catholic News Agency has this report.

I meant to highlight this post by Dr. Mohler last week on the Holy Father’s visit for my protestant hommies.

I obviously disagree with many of Dr. Mohler’s theological views, but I’ve always found him to be thought provoking and well worth reading.

I found this extremely encouraging:

Pope Benedict XVI received an ecstatic welcome from 57,000 faithful in Yankee Stadium for the final Mass of his six-day visit to the U.S., drawing applause when he spoke of protecting unborn children and when he called a new generation to priesthood and religious life . . . [W]hile calling young people to put their faith in Christ into action, he made his strongest statement of the visit regarding abortion.

He asked them to uphold “truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world — including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb,” he said, to long, loud applause.

Speaking to an “enthralled” South Lawn audience at the White House, President Bush said the following to Pope Benedict XVI:

“We need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth. In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but in a spirit of mutual support.”

Uh oh, some Catholics are going to be awfully upset with the Holy Father for saying that.

Update: Policraticus demurs.

Over at Vox Nova (my old blogging home), one of the contributors Gerald L. Campbell, accused me of being a “one issue person” (read: single-issue voter), noting, “[t]hat explains everything you say.”  And I want to state publicly that Gerald is absolutely right. Abortion is the single most important issue to me as a voter.* Thankfully, I am in good company.

Pope Benedict XVI has called abortion “today’s gravest injustice.”

Pope John Paul II:

“Laws which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human beings…are in complete opposition to the inviolable right to life proper to every individual; they thus deny the equality of everyone before the law” (Evangelium Vitae, 72). What is at stake here is nothing less than the indivisible truth about the human person on which the Founding Fathers staked your nation’s claim to independence.

Mother Teresa believed that “the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself.”

But you see, I simply don’t understand what it truly means to be a Catholic. Because if I did, my “conscience” would tell me that there are indeed ”proportionate reasons” to vote for a man who lead the charge to deny babies who survive botched abortions basic medical care, and to vote against a man who, with one notable exception, has a sterling pro-life record.

Silly me. It must be that “protestant baggage” I brought with me into the Catholic Church.

*Perhaps my buddy Christopher can design a cool “One Isssue Voter” button that folks can place on their blogs if they so choose.

You can watch live coverage via CNN.

But it’s o.k. because he’s Catholic, right?

Bill Maher should be roundly condemned for such vile bigotry. 

Mark Shea gives us his thoughts on the Holy Father’s visit to America in this special report for the American Spectator. Here’s a taste:

Many come to bury Benedict, not to praise him, let alone listen to him. Their minds are made up. Like the Far Side cartoon about what we say and what dogs hear, much of the press coverage will consist of TV spots which will consist pretty much of regurgitations of The American Media Narrative on Benedict: “Benedict blah blah blah Hitler Youth blah blah blah God’s Rottweiler blah blah blah inflexible blah blah blah homosexuality, divorce, women priests blah blah blah Vatican crackdown, etc. blah blah.” (more…)

Welcome Holy Father! It’s good to have you in these United States.

(Picture via The American Papist, who is providing extensive coverage of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to America)

You can watch Raymond Arroyo’s interview with President Bush here.* This is apparently the only interview President Bush is giving in advance of the Holy Father’s trp to America.

It’s a fascinating interview, and it reminds me of why I voted for President Bush twice. He may not be perfect, but he is a good man who shares my and many other Christians’ worlview. And he has certainly been a far better president than Al Gore or John Kerry would have been. About that much, I am certain.

For those of you who don’t have time to watch the entire interview. I have highlighted some of the more interesting moments below the fold: (more…)

(LvJA)

O.k., this is awesome. Three hundred staffers at the World Bank and IMF sent this signed letter to Pope Benedict, which I am republishing here: (more…)

Michael Sean Winters and the editors of the Washington Post’s “Outlook” section.

A new blog by Christopher Blosser, launched to cover the Holy Father’s visit to these United States.

Christopher over at “Against the Grain” is doing an excellent job of covering the Holy Father’s historic trip to Turkey.

(LvJA)

All I can say is, “wow.”

First, Sully links to the fedster in a positive way, and now he is praising the Holy Father.

Perhaps I should take it easy on ol’ Andrew for a spell. Of late, he has earned some degree of credit with me.

(LvC&EI!)

Ah, gotta love Papa Benedict.

Christopher Blosser has an excellent post up over at Against the Grain.

(LvAWatOB)

You can read PBXVI’s first encyclical letter here.