Pope Takes

Pope Francis Covers Women with Blankets!

(I wonder if that's a substitute for binders full of women in Argentina?)

According to a new item posted by Fr. Z about the Latin Mass in Argentina, "Regresó la misa en latín, con mujeres cubiertas por mantillas," which plugged into Google Translate means "he returned the Latin Mass, with women covered by blankets." This is obviously oppression, suppression, impression, and linear regression of women! This just goes to show that the eeeeeevil Church patriarchy isn't happy unless all of the fairer sex is smothered under layers of covers!

All kidding aside, remember my wish list for the new pope? Someone encouraging of the Latin Mass? Well, Fr. Z posted this article. Apparently, within 48 hours of B16 (bingo!) signing Summorum Pontificum, then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio arranged for a regular Latin Mass in Buenos Aires.

From other reports, it doesn't sound like he, personally, will be pushing hard for the EF Mass. However, I don't think that's really even his duty, at this point. So long as he allows it to continue and grow, it's really the job of the people to promote and further it. In SP, B16 (bingo!) said that priests everywhere had permission to celebrate the Latin Mass wherever the people demanded it. The onus is on the people to demand it.

Brick by brick, as Fr. Z says.

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The Murloc is thrilled: it has been confirmed that Pope Francis' name is, in fact, after Francis of Assisi, and not Francis Xavier, as was suspected.

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This basically sums up my first impression of our new Holy Father. I remember watching B16 (bingo!) walk on to the balcony, and he looked absolutely exuberant. But watching Francis walk out, he looked so somber, head slightly bowed, like the weight of the world had just been dropped on his shoulders.

We wondered if anyone could top Benedict's humility. We may have found our answer.

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Despite all my reading and digging and searching and following the buzz and reading some more about the top Papabili, Bergoglio somehow completely slipped past my radar. I had read up on Scola and Ouellet and Scherer and Turkson and Tagle and Dolan and O'Malley and the Nigerian whose name I can't pronounce, yet somehow completely managed to miss Bergoglio. My reaction when he was announced, as was that of much of the rest of the world, was "who?"

So, of course, I had to spend the next several hours browsing the Internet finding every last thing I could.

This has been wreaking havoc on my Lenten resolution. But, but... but I HAVE to read and dig and search and follow the buzz and read some more. I mean, his papacy just wouldn't be able to continue if I didn't know everything there is to know and read every relevant opinion! And of course, I just had to check in on Catholic Memes. I mean, let's be sane here.

OK, but at least I shouldn't be reading the comments on the blogs. That one I've got no excuse for, except the habit to keep scrolling and keep reading.

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It's fun to note just how fast the secular media will try to dig up some dirt. Remember how many papers would start article about B16 (bingo!) with something like "Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and former Hitler's Youth..."? So, too, already I'm seeing secular media trying to find some way to do the same with Pope Francis.

I was watching MSNBC's coverage—actually amazingly fair, at least the parts I saw—mainly because they had Fr. Barron, George Weigel, and Cardinal Egan covering the conclave. However, Rachel Maddow, when profiling the new Pope, felt it necessary to mention Argentina's Dirty War, and mention a connection with "Church leadership" and the despotic regime. No mention of Pope Francis, who at that time hadn't even been consecrated a bishop, or how that fact is even remotely relevant to the man. But, y'know. Hitler's Youth.

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Cardinal Dolan has been where he belongs following the conclave: out in front of a camera and microphone. Rebecca Hamilton linked three good interviews with him:

ABC News.
Yahoo/ABC.
CBS News.

(Fun to note that one of the recommended videos under the ABC News "Cardinal Dolan: We Got the Gravy" interview is "Girls Gone Wild files for bankruptcy. I guess that's gravy on top of gravy.)

Watching the man, it's amazing just how media savvy he is. He just looks natural in front of a camera. You can tell he's done this a lot. He feels comfortable. He knows the game. I think he's in the perfect position right where he is: as the public face of Catholicism in America, and I'd much rather have him interviewing on the streets of New York than locked away in the Vatican.

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Speaking of Cardinal Dolan, did you watch the coverage at the beginning of the conclave? Particularly the part where the Cardinals were all swearing in. It was almost funny to watch—this long line of somber-looking men, heads slightly bowed, processing up to the book to read the oath. Then comes Cardinal Dolan, a look of intense unease—almost fright—on his face, looking around the Sistine chapel at all the frescoes. I would love to ask him what was going through his mind at that point.

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Lastly, as an extra special limited-time-only super-duper bonus unprecedented eighth quick take, I made these for you, to make sure all our meme bases (see what I did there!) were covered.