The shoes of the fisherman
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- April
- 21
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the (mostly knowledgeable) coverage of Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to America this past week. I know that this pontiff is not supposed to be as glamorous as his late, adored predecessor. But I felt a kinship with someone who likes books, classical music and ravioli (though I’ll pass on the love of helicopters.)
It seems to me that his trip was both an end (the visit to Ground Zero, which apparently brought closure to some of the survivors and families) and a beginning (his conversation with several of the sex-abuse victims). Perhaps what struck me most was something the pope said at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He noted his connection with his earliest predecessor, St. Peter, a man of deep flaws and deeper gifts.
Observing that he, too, was a man of flaws, Benedict said that he nonetheless would strive to follow in the fisherman’s footsteps.
It was a beautiful meditation on the need to recognize ourselves for what we are — and the courage to go on.
This entry was posted
on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 5:13 pm by Georgette Gouveia.
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