Posted on 05/21/2011 5:11:20 PM PDT by DaveMSmith
Pope Benedict XVI has a new hotline to the heavens, chatting via satellite to astronaut Mark Kelly on the International Space Station, reports Jacqui Goddard in Miami.
Engraved on his wife's wedding ring, which he wears on a chain around his neck while in space, is an inscription that shuttle commander Mark Kelly put on there four years ago: "You're the closest to heaven that I've ever been," it says.
A telephone call from Earth on Saturday might just have changed things. In a historic link-up between the Vatican and the International Space Station, Cdr Kelly and his five crew, along with the station's six residents, took a call from Pope Benedict XVI.
"Dear astronauts," the Pontiff greeted them as they orbited their home planet at 17,500mph. "Welcome aboard, your holiness," Cdr Kelly replied at the start of a 20-minute chat in which the Pope conveyed his good wishes for the recovery of the commander's wife, Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot through the brain during an assassination attempt in January. Rep Giffords underwent skull surgery on Wednesday.
"From the space station you have a very different view of Earth. You fly over different continents and nations several times a day. I think it must be obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth, and how absurd it is that we fight and kill one another," the Pope told the astronauts.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Waiting for the first ACLU moron to complain about separation of church and state.
Neat! This pope - like many popes before him - is very interested in astronomy and space.
I don’t think this is consistent with nasa’s mission of boosting islamic self-esteem.
yeah cuz everyone knows the pope is the Antichrist.
Don’t think so. Could be because two of the Astronauts are Italian.
I believed that for awhile but dropped the antichrist idea altogether. We all are antichrists at some point in our lives. We are to look within and REPENT rather than look for boogymen at every turn.
I found the pope's words very moving.
“I have it on Good Authority that rumors of humanity’s demise today have been greatly exaggerated...”
What if Camping had the date right but his rapture doctrine is a mess?
Oh man, I didn’t even think of that. Do you have to be on the Earth to be raptured? Now THAT would have been one heck of a joke to pull on the folks in orbit.
“I guess that prediction was bunkum, guys. You can relax up there, ha hah. Now the next space walk will———transmision ends.
“Can you repeat? Hey? This thing on? Uh oh.”
“Gotcha!!”
Freegards
Amusing that Capt Kelly has a paraphrased line from “The Rocketeer” engraved on his wedding ring.
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