Related:
"Pope Benedict XVI's flight to Malta for a weekend pilgrimage was one of the few to depart Saturday from Rome"
Yes, the Lord does work in mysterious ways, doesn't he?
"Church will protect youths, pope says; Pontiff is tearful in Malta meeting" by Victor L. Simpson, Associated Press | April 19, 2010
VALLETTA, Malta — With tears in his eyes, Pope Benedict XVI made his most personal gesture yet to respond to the clerical sex abuse scandal yesterday....
Benedict met for more than a half-hour with eight Maltese men who say they were abused by four priests when they were boys living at a Catholic orphanage. During the meeting in the chapel at the Vatican’s embassy here, Benedict expressed his “shame and sorrow’’ at the pain the men and their families suffered, the Vatican said.
“Everybody was crying,’’ one of the men, Joseph Magro, 38, said after the meeting. “I told him my name was Joseph, and he had tears in his eyes.’’
The visit — which came on the second day of Benedict’s two-day trip to this largely Roman Catholic island — marked the first time Benedict had met with abuse victims since the worldwide clerical abuse scandal engulfed the Vatican earlier this year....
Victims’ advocacy groups have demanded that the Vatican take concrete steps to protect children and remove abusive priests and the bishops who protected them, saying the pope’s expressions to date of solidarity and shame were meaningless unless action is taken....
While not wanting to minimize the pain, the apostates should take a look at the clouds.
--more--"
I guess the test is whether he made it back or not:
"Pope celebrates his 5th anniversary; Pontiff says he leads ‘wounded, sinner’ Church" by Associated Press | April 20, 2010
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI told cardinals on yesterday that he does not feel alone while at the helm of a “wounded and sinner’’ Church, the Vatican newspaper reported.
You aren't, Pope. The MSM attack has brought your flock together.
Benedict made the comment while the cardinals were celebrating the fifth anniversary of his election to the papacy, the L’Osservatore Romano said.
Related: Slow Saturday Special: Pope's Birthday Party
The afternoon paper’s account of Benedict’s remarks at the luncheon marking his April 19, 2005, election to succeed John Paul II did not directly mention the current clergy sex abuse scandal, which is threatening to engulf Benedict’s papacy with the church’s most serious crisis in recent times....
Because it is in the agenda-pushing paper every day.
Benedict has just returned from a two-day pilgrimage to Malta, where he met privately with abuse victims....
So he got up and down twice, huh?
Also see: God's Angry Ash Cloud
And it parted for the Pope, 'eh?
Also see: Catholic Caritas Makes Deal With the Devil
Then again, maybe someone else separated the dust for him, 'eh?
Of course, if that were the case it would be closing, not opening, for his repentance, right?
