[Catholic Caucus] Our Peripatetic Popes

The Catholic Thing ^ | August 21, 2017 | Brad Miner

[ebb tide]

Then there are all those papal visits to many sovereign nations large and small, Catholic and not, that have made the former prisoners of the Vatican among the most well-traveled men in history. John Paul II journeyed 104 times, rolling up nearly three-quarters-of-a-million miles over the twenty-seven years of his pontificate. That was a big increase over Paul VI’s nine trips in fifteen years. Benedict XVI made many journeys too in his eight-year papacy, almost at the same pace as his illustrious predecessor, until he said, Nicht mehr.

But where is it written that this must be so – that popes must be peripatetic? Prior to Paul VI, no pope had left Italy since 1809. And nobody in a conclave prior to the 1970s ever thought that among the duties of the pope is a travel schedule that would tax the strength of men far younger than those elected to the papacy.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I’ve long thought that if Pope Francis really believed that CO2 - driven climate change was true and a terrible danger to all humanity,he’d halt all air travel for clerics everywhere, send confine himself to Tweets and Skype.

Maybe CO2 isn’t really a “ thing”, after all...

[ebb tide]

Good point.

[ebb tide]

Also, consider all the CO2 emmissions that result from the millions of yutes, chaperones, religious, etc. traveling from all parts of the world by trains, planes and automobiles to attend the World Yute Days.