On Tuesday the Pope Benedict XVI flies into Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and begins a six-day visit to the U. S.For wise commentary about potential media coverage of this papal visit read this March 29 column in the NY Times by Peter Steinfels. Steinfels comments on the the cliched breathlessness with which the media covers events like this, and the difficulty the press has in reporting on any serious religious leader. He identifies 5 important aspects of the Pope Benedict's trip that ought to be seriously considered:
- The pope's appearance at the U.N.
- His encounter with American Catholicism.
- The perspective he will offer on Catholic education and identity at a meeting with Catholic educators.
- His interactions with leaders of other religions and Christian denominations.
- His skill in navigating the partison politics of the current U.S. presidential campaign.
Steinfels also notes the irony that some of the least examined spoken words of the pope in the coming week will be those most important to him: the words of the mass.
