WORLD MEETING WITH FAMILIES: CELEBRATION WITH FAMILIES, POPE BENEDICT XVI, VALENCIA, SPAIN (2 hours) LIVE
Saturday July 8, 2006 3 PM LIVE
Saturday July 8, 2006 8 PM ENCORE
WORLD MEETING WITH FAMILIES: SOLEMN MASS WITH POPE BENEDICT XVI, VALENCIA, SPAIN (3 hours) LIVE
Sunday July 9, 2006 3:30 AM LIVE
Sunday July 9, 2006 12 PM ENCORE
Monday July 10, 2006 12 AM ENCORE
I plan to watch it. Most people here have probably heard about the terrible metro accident in Valencia that killed 42 people last week (the train was going too fast and derailed on a curve coming into the station). I believe the families of those people are going to be present at the mass as a group.
Also, people here may not know that a few days ago, the Spanish government sponsored (yes, that's right, they paid for it all) a conference in Valencia on "gay families." It was timed to nearly coincide with the Catholic family conference, and featured a gay rally outside the Cathedral, etc. Zapatero is doing his best to provoke and offend, as usual.
However, while the Pope is going personally to meet with the King and Queen of Spain at a government building in Valencia, he is making Zapatero come to the Episcopal Palace if he wishes to meet with the him! So the Pope is not about to grovel to ZP, but is asserting his position, which in my opinion is a very important thing to do right now. BXVI is very, very good at the symbolic gesture, and very aware of the meaning of these things. Truly, our Pope is a genuine "defensor fidei."