[txrangerette]

Our eyes do not deceive us; we in
America can tell this man is very
old, sick, frail & being taken
care of by others. Even Catholics,
which I am not, know he makes no
claim of infallibility unless he
speaks "ex cathedra", which he did
not.

Our ears do not deceive us. The
words out of the Pope & Vatican,
reported by the Media, sound just
like the Left-Wing slams we hear
every day against Bush. Except a
bit more mild, as noted.

I would guess that we intuitively
"get it" pretty well.

Bush seemed unafraid, decent &
kind in his visit to the Pope.
Not going through with this would
have been worse by far, IMO.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

I don't think most people-with the exception of traditional Roman Catholics-make a distinction between the pontiff speaking informally and formally.

Whether his voice is expressed in the form of an apostolic letter to the faithful, or an encyclical directed toward diocesan spread throughout the world, or simply speaking to a public figure in a private conversation, I don't think it really makes much of a difference to the general public.

The important thing is that it is Pope John Paul II, not that the words were delivered within a particular context.

Personally, I think Pres. Bush has done the right thing in meeting with him, even if he draws a lot flack in the process of doing so.