Pilgrims greet Pope Benedict XVI as he arrives for his weekly Wednesday general audience at Paul VI Hall at the Vatican August 10, 2005. REUTERS/Tony Gentile
Posted on 08/10/2005 5:56:44 AM PDT by NYer
I am now in the midst of a war of rival WYD chants -- rival countries are chanting. So far the Americans sound the loudest (or at least the fiercest. Hey, guys we're not going to war; we're seeing the Pope. You don't need to chant "USA!" -- that is unless you see the French chanting "Viva la France", in which case feel free to out holler the cheese-eating surrender monkeys) . The Spanish speaking world, South America and Mexico primarily, sound like they're having the most fun (I've noticed from living in Los Angeles for seven plus years that the Mexicans always look like they're having a good time!) The Slovakians have the cutest little uniforms -- like boy scouts and girl scouts. They were feeling a little neglected (understandable really; I'm not even sure where Slovak Republic is. Someplace around Poland?) --what with the "Viva Mexico!" drowning out everything--so they started chanted something that sounds like "sola snpowla ah ya soletso" -- I have no idea what the hel! l that means but they seemed proud of it. Yes it's official the Mexicans and South Americans are the happiest and the Americans are the fiercest. I think it's safe to say just from my observations in this auditorium that no one should get on our bad side. We have more young men and they sound like they can kick these poor malnourished looking waif like iron-lacking pasty white people. If it isn't immediately obvous from what I'm writing, the audience is 90+% young peope on the way to WYD. And they're shouting "Benedetto!" With gusto! They've transformed the old Italian soccer chant "Giovanni Paulo" followed by three claps into "BEN-nee-detto" followed by three claps. Become, get a soccer chant. I bet our humble Ben finds this both endearing and more than a little embarrassing for such a modest and naturally shy man. I wonder what he must feel to see his face plastered on souvenir rosary cases and kitsch Catholic memorabilia.
Everyone quieted down for a few minutes (well, everyone but the Spanish speaking pilgrims) and an old man in white walked out of the entrace and everyone suddenly started hollering "BEN-nee-detto" and then we discovered it was false alarm. But I love the fact that the old guy just went with it and started waving. They used to call our great John Paull II "John Paul superstar", but if this is any indication of adoration, I think it's the papacy itself and the sense of the universality. of the Church as well as it permanence that makes them cheer.
The youth from every country all joined up near the front and tied all the natiomnal flags together in one long banner. They did this on their own mind you. Somebody went to each country group in the auditorium to put this together. I know because the guy in my section who was waving the US flag was up in front with the others.
The Cardinals are all seated up front. I just saw Cardinal Arinze. Can't tell if Roger the L.A. D.A. Dodger is up there. I don't smell sulfur, so I'm assuming he isn't here.
An "unholy" side note: the Swiss guards are such hotties! Daayum -- do they hire from a modeling agency? And they look so adorable in the little uniform Michelangelo designed for them. I love their method of communicating to tourist. They say nothing, just stand there solemnly and point to you with slow deliberate authority and then motion to you (again with that same slow deliberate solemnity) where you are supposed to go. It's just classy. If the secret service guys are cool (and they are--I've met a few), then these guys are super cool. They're to secret service what Harvard is to American universities.
A priest is now addressing us all in French. I don't see that many French people here--at least I haven't heard any so I'm wondering why they chose them first, but he was quickly followed by an English (British) priest reading the. Psalm that B16 will discuss today as part of his continuting lecture series. Followed by Spanish, German, Polish I think, and Italian.
And the Swiss Guard comes out and stands guard on the dias.
And we have organ music which "sounds" German -- at least it does for this untrained no-nothing about organ music hearer (ninenot, where are you when I need someomne to name that tune?) And everyone is standing on their chairs and no one can see anything. But I know they'll all settle down eventually when he speaks, so I'll try to get onyx's photo then.
Hopefully ... lots more to come today!
Those with cable access to EWTN take note. The Papal Audience is broadcast on Thursday morning at 7:20AM EST (check your local listing). Tune in tomorrow morning and look for GipperGal!
Need a picture.
GG... Details... details...
Can you tell us?
Finished the Papal audience at about 12:30 and am now resting (didn't sleep much last night) and am hungry (haven't eaten a meal since the Alitalia breakfast if you can believe it. Too tired last night, no time this morning, and too exhausted from the heat in St. Peter's square at noon to even consider eating. I'm now cooled down and will nap and then eat and then check out Santa Maria Maggiore.
New and improved with B-16!
You make me feel as if I am right there.
Excellent, most have more.
Pray for all FReepers.
Almost feel as if I was there...
>>Those with cable access to EWTN take note. The Papal Audience is broadcast on Thursday morning at 7:20AM EST (check your local listing). Tune in tomorrow morning and look for GipperGal!<<
If Netmilsdad can get the Directv dish working again, I am soooo there!!!
Yup.
I am SO jealous.
Thanks for the info. Does EWTN do that for every Wednesday general audience?
What a stylish Pope!
Could you please link the other threads so that we get the whole picture? Maybe in the first post?
Yes!
Great report. The MSM is very slow on picking up on WYD, but FR is getting the news first hand. Thank you, GipperGal and NYer!
Need a picture.>>
of gipper gal there or of just general world youth day pics
World Youth Day doesn't begin until next week. Right now, youth are streaming into Europe to visit different sites before converging on Cologne. GipperGal doesn't have a web host for her pictures so I am posting the generic ones from the news agencies.
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