By ERIC GORSKI,
AP
Posted: 2008-04-17 14:19:20
WASHINGTON (April 17) — Pope Benedict XVI praised America as a land of opportunity and hope Thursday as he celebrated the first public Mass of his U.S. pilgrimage, but he lamented that the nation’s promise fell short for blacks and Indians. Hope for the future, he said, “is very much a part of the American character.”
Tens of thousands of worshippers filled Nationals Park on a clear spring day and cheered Benedict as he arrived in a white popemobile, standing in the back and waving. The crowd grew to 46,000, and the demand for tickets doubled the supply, organizers said.
The pope, wearing scarlet vestments, led the service from an altar erected in centerfield of the recently inaugurated baseball stadium. Rows of red-robed church leaders joined him.
In brilliant spring sunshine, the pope walked down from the altar to distribute Holy Communion near the end of Mass.”Americans have always been a people of hope,” he said during his homily. “Your ancestors came to this country with the experience of finding new freedom and opportunity.
Here is the full article.
What is your impression of his visit to the U.S? Has it been a success so far? Please be respectful with your comments regardless of your position. Thanks!
I’m very happy to see the Pope here in the U.S.A. He is a man of peace and a great scholar. Pope Benedict is absolutely 100% correct when he described our nation as follows: “America as a land of opportunity and hope…”
While Europe falls further and further into a secular culture, America is, and in absolutely every sense of the following words, that were said by President Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address….he said that the U.S.A. is “The Last Best Hope for the Earth.”
President Lincoln was correct then and it is still true today. America has its flaws but if ever there shall be true freedom and liberty on this planet, it will not be Europe or Asia that spreads it..history has given America this task and that is why we, the U.S.A. are the most powerful and free nation on Earth.
God bless the USA and Pope Benedict for praising what is good in the U.S. but also addressing the things that need to be corrected. He is a great man. And, America is the only hope the world has for freedom and liberty if humanity is ever to have it.
Lincoln was so very correct.
God bless America and the Pope…
Thank you, Holy Father, for visiting our great nation.
I think it’s a very positive visit. I’m happy to see him doing mass today in Washington.
America and the world needs the Holy Father’s blessings. I’ve never respected a man more than him. Scholar, Pope, man of peace….
I hope his vist will strengthen people’s faith….regardless of what denomination they belong to but to be near him and see the Holy Father in person is amazing.
AS the first post states,god bless America and the Pope.
Greatest Man On Earth
What the world needs is Jesus Christ! Not some imitation. Amen
“Anonymous said…
What the world needs is Jesus Christ! Not some imitation. Amen”
What the world needs is peace, love, unity, and a swift kick to the butt.
Yup.
The pope, please.Who needs a pope anyway? Are we like in the medieval ages still?
And yeah, the pope in America, that is what we really need…a pad on the back on religion.
You have your right to not believe in any religion. However, you should be respectful to others’ beliefs. The Pope is a man of peace. So, as a Catholic myself, I think you should not be so resentful.
We all have the right to believe or not to believe. Don’t make fun of the Pope or those that are Christians.
And, it isn’t the “medieval ages.” It is the “Middle Ages”…as is proper English.
The pope is a man of peace?
If by peace you mean “unity,love, and freedom”, who needs a pope to tell me that. Isn’t unity,love, and freedom embedded in all of us since the time we were born. People don’t need “a man” to tell us that, you find that by talking and socializing with other “people” about music,art, science,poetry, drinking tea under a maple tree, etc,etc. why do you have to overcomplicate life by adding religion.
And besides, I wasn’t being resentful, I was being logical. I was just trying to say that a pope is just a preachy guy that hasn’t really lived in a “real” world.He just walks and breathe in a bubble.
I mean, this is a chess site where people come to learn and get better at their chess and find what is going on in the chess world. I mean, that is what I thought it was.
Peace.
>>
The pope, please.Who needs a pope anyway? Are we like in the medieval ages still?
>>
“Attention, Catholics of the world. Abolish the office of Pope. An anonymous guy on the internet thinks you should, for reasons he can’t explain.”
Yeah, that’ll work.
Boy, in that picture, he looks like he only walks diagonally.
ROTFLOL!
Diagnal!
Oh, I just had to mention “En Passant” that was a funny comment!
The Masked Pawn
Anon 8:19am…You said:
“I mean, this is a chess site where people come to learn and get better at their chess and find what is going on in the chess world.”
WRONG!
Susan changed the name of her blog to the “Susan Polgar Chess AND INFORMATION BLOG”….read what she says under the heading. She includes things not related to chess that interests her. It’s her blog. Not yours. So, respect that.
Disgusting !
“Susan changed the name of her blog to the “Susan Polgar Chess AND INFORMATION BLOG”….read what she says under the heading. She includes things not related to chess that interests her. It’s her blog. Not yours. So, respect that.”
Alright, point taken. I wasn’t even aware that she extended the name of her blog to “information”. Actually, to be honest,I thought this was going to be more like “chess information” ,such as chessbase but with problem-solving puzzles. But yeah, I guess if she wants to talk about the pope she has her own Constitutional right as a citizen; but you know,this post about the pope is very bland and lame.I mean, you just have to read the first anon post to make you wonder if that guy is delusional and in need of therapy…
“While Europe falls further and further into a secular culture, America is, and in absolutely every sense of the following words, that were said by President Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address….he said that the U.S.A. is “The Last Best Hope for the Earth.”
He makes it sound just because Europe is mostly secular it ‘s somehow hopelessly without redemption . So now the pope comes here to America to save the day…and save the world.It sounds a lot like Mr. Bush.
Comments such as those are so full of “hidden”, biased, hatred containing so much elitist
propaganda than you could possible imagine …I mean, I might just consider the pope a tool but that guy thinks that Europe is in some kind of apocalyptic doom filled with heretics. Ironically, no one seemed to say anything negative about it. But, boy, the one that disagrees always bites the dust…not the ones that nod at everything like a senile- nincompoop.
Peace.
Actually, I posted that quote from President Lincoln. It isn’t aimed at Europe or Asia or South America or the moon for that matter. Am I biased? Sure, I guess you could say I am because I didn’t grow up with a big dose of the “Soviet interpretation” of history.
When Lincoln stood on that battlefield at Gettysburg, he had to explain to the country why he kept going despit constant criticism for him to end the war, let the South go, and just end it.
Sounds familiar…doesn’t it.
In December of 1862, Lincoln was perhaps the most unpopular president up to that time. He had no good generals to help him, thousands dying every year….calls for his impeachment, resignation, and he was facing (at that time) that possible intervention of Britain and France on the Side of the South. Hence, turning the Civil War into a World War.
But, this man that General McClellalan called a “gorilla,” went on to become the greatest president in American history despite what “poll numbers” said, what newspapers at the time said of him, and a death toll that makes Iraq look like a stroll in the park.
People are often so stupid of history.
He would not give up the war, the preservation of the Union because, as he saw it, it came down to one thing: Can a nation created by the people and elects it’s representatives from the people (Not appointing them, not being born into a monarchy) survive even though history says such systems do not last?
He stood on that battlefield that day and said the truth. America isn’t just a land made up of a diverse population…it’s an ideal. Not perfect by any means. But, the idea our founders fought for is worth preserving and other nations, while living under despots, and biased social classes, can look across the Atlantic and see the USA as an example of what is possible.
The world is different today. Europe is under no dictatorships as in the past. They are quite jealous of America’s success and like to make fun of us but that’s OK. There’s nothing the “EU” can do if something terrible in the world happened. They all hide behind the shadow of the USA.
The Pope is here not to support President Bush or a political system. He is here because he is the leader of catholicism.
America, with all its flaws, is and forever shall be what Lincoln said: The last best hope for the Earth.
If you disagree, then just ignore it.
But, our flag will never fall.
Man, you have your nose so far up where the sun don’t shine that you probably could savor the mashed potatoes you had for dinner for last year’s Thanksgiving. ( I hope it was tasty)
Let me pin point your arrogance and contradictions, if you will.
Actually, I posted that quote from President Lincoln.(I know, I read it from your first post.) It isn’t aimed at Europe or Asia or South America or the moon for that matter.
But, yes, you did. On the second paragraph of your first post you’re clearly targeting Europe. I recommend to read your first post once again, for I’m guessing your memory is fading (they have herbal tea for that, just in case you’re interested).
Can a nation created by the people and elects it’s representatives from the people (Not appointing them, not being born into a monarchy) survive even though history says such systems do not last?
Funny that you mentioned monarchy, you know, since the pope is here (a guy that didn’t even got elected by the people. Talk about Irony.)
and a death toll that makes Iraq look like a stroll in the park.
I love your playfulness of words by calling the Iraq conflict a stroll in the park. Just wonderful.
Europe is under no dictatorships as in the past. They are quite jealous of America’s success and like to make fun of us but that’s OK.
Of course they make fun of us, and that is because we have a retard in the white house that can’t even speak proper English. And what is that we have that they don’t have ?Most european countries even have incredible inexpensive medicare and dental programs…some of them for free. Our big malls and K-mart, is that what they are jealous of? And i have never met an European jealous of America.They are very proud of their heritage,language, history as any other nation. Sure, we’re their colony for a while and we had to go to war over taxation&representation, but look, that is all dead in the past. Why keep pushing hatred from 150 years ago into the present. Let it go. It’s O.k. This a new generation that is trying to pave a brand new road on top of the beaten up, full of holes, that you
guys left us to deal with, because,you know, your ideals.
Peace.
I do respect your opinion. I can surmise from your post that you are an American. First, the reason I mentioned Lincoln and the Founders is that the ideals they put forth were and are ideas worth both fighting for and hoping that the world will someday embrace.
It’s true that the U.S. hasn’t lived up to these very ideas that are in our own Constitution. Our history is bruised terribly by injustice. However, this does not mean that the original ideas such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, etc. are not worthy. The ideas have always been noble….humans are the ones that have been “bad” and not lived up to them.
But, should we ignore them?
John F. Kennedy once remarked, after being asked to “rank” (in his opinion) the “greatest” presidents from best to worst.
He refused. Why? Well, in essence (and you can read the full story in David Herbert Donald’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Lincoln) Kennedy said that until a person sits in the Oval Office (regardless of whether you’re a Dem or a Republican), reads the CIA reports and other classified national security documents each morning, reads the mail that every president gets, deals with matters that will forever be remembered, while always under the watchful eye of the media….until someone lives this life everyday…they have no right to judge a president….”even poor James Buchanan,” said Kennedy. So, he refused to rank the “best” and “worst” presidents.
You can dislike our president but the office of the presidency is larger than any one person. Respect the office of President of the United States. Bush has had to deal with stress and issues that go far beyond anything you or I can even imagine. And you know this. You might not agree with him but, each day he has to read the classified reports and make decisions that as President Truman describes as being like “The weight of the world is on your shoulders.”
I am a Catholic. I have a right to my beliefs. I believe in the office of the Pope. If you do not, then that is your right. But, I have a wife that is from Europe. I’ve been there many times. I have some idea of the mentality of Europeans.
People that do not understand history (which is the majority of Americans, unfortunately) look at the Iraq war as if it is something worse than other American wars. during the Civil War in the Battle of Cold Harbour….some estimate that as many as 7,000 soldiers died IN 20 minutes!!! That was just one battle! So, as bad as it is for any soldier to fall in combat (I was in the army but not during war time), this war cannot be compared to others in our past as the casualty count after 5 years is just over 4,000.
This is terrible.
But, this isn’t about the war in Iraq. It’s about the Pope’s visit.
He is here as the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.
You can not believe and make fun of the president and all that. I’ll sleep well because I know you are reacting not with logic but pure emotion. The Pope is a man to be respected even if you don’t believe or agree with him.
And, no more historical debates. Many (not all) Europeans are very ungrateful for the sacrifices our soldiers made to liberate them (i.e. France) during WWII. They always argue that Russia “won the war” by keeping the German army busy.
Well, it’s not true. and Europeans have a tendancy to make fun of the U.S. the nation that gave a lot in the 20th century to keep them safe from their own dictators. We should remove the brave U.S. soldiers buried in France and bring them home and away from a nation that despises us.
They are jealous because Europe is no longer “great” nor a world power (that is, any European nation) as was so during the early modern period.
You know about as much about history as a rotten turnip.
and, respond and insult all you wish. I end it now. I am confident in my opinions and beliefs. You can be the redneck hillbilly you are.
Write all you wish. I’m not even checking for a response. You’re not worth it.
Hopefully a visit like this gets people to rekindle some of their own beliefs. Perhaps this will spark a few people to search what fulfills them, and makes us all better people – regardless of faith.
“Bradford said…
Hopefully a visit like this gets people to rekindle some of their own beliefs. Perhaps this will spark a few people to search what fulfills them, and makes us all better people – regardless of faith.”
I found what I like: e4
Your turn.