Pope Benedict XVI greets young Mexicans as he arrives in Leon March 23, 2012. The Pope arrived for a three-day visit in Mexico. Picture taken March 23, 2012.
People are surrounded by such evil every day that when a really good man comes into their lives you can actually feel the goodness eminating from him. I remember when JPII visited here in AZ, you could literally feel it when he landed and stepped out onto the ground.
I’m not Catholic but I too adored Pope John Paul II. He, along with Ronaldus Magnus and Lady Thatcher led the defeat of Communism in the second half of the 20th century. Strange how the vile thing has sprung back up in the form of the current administration.
I have such fond memories of trips to Mexico. I’m so sad that now I would not want to go because of the violence and even if I did it would be to a tourist enclave. We actually camped in the early 70s at Cancun and there was absolutely nothing there but a coca plantation and some wonderful lagoons. We snorkeled. We slept in hammocks. We also camped about a mile from Tulum. Again, nothing there but a guy up on a bluff who would cook what we caught and charge us for it if we brought it to him. We slept in our camper on the beach with some friends and caught and cooked most of our food. We were 60 miles from the nearest town (where we could buy bread) but the beer truck stopped on its way to the coca plantation down the road twice a week.
Within a short time of a new pope's election, before the Cardinals return home, a formal ceremony of inauguration takes place at which the woolen pallium - symbolizing the plenitudo pontificalis officii (i.e. the plenitude of pontifical office); - is bestowed upon him. The choir chants "Tu es Petrus" (Thou art Peter), the words Christ spoke to Peter when He told him he was the Rock on which Jesus would build His Church and asked him to feed His sheep.
Only the AP or similar ilk could be surprised at Mexicans’ enthusiasm for Pope Benedict.