Background on today's events and on Ephesus at Vatican Radio.
More pictures here.
By the by, Mr. W & I were debating last night whether the Pope in fact reversed himself and endorsed Turkey's admittance into the EU. I said I doubted it, noting that PM Erdogan reported what the Pope allegedly said; there was no comment from B16 himself. Jim Geragty agrees:
in yesterday's media accounts, it was unclear as to whether the pope's comment -not recorded - referred to the “European Union” or “European community.” The pope’s spokesman later released a statement clarifying that “The Holy See does not have the power or specific task, politically, to intervene on the precise point of Turkey's entrance into the European Union. It does not strive for it. All the same, it sees positively and encourages the path of dialogue and of Turkey becoming closer and integrated into Europe.”
It's tough to shake the feeling that the pope said something vaguely supportive to his host, and that Erdogan heard what he wanted to hear.
Yup.
One more thing: Tony Blankley on Benedict in the Lion's Den. Cites Michael O'Brien comparing Benedict to St. Francis.
Benedict is a man of charity and of truth, and rarer still, he is a man who has integrated both within his life and teaching. In a sense he is like St. Francis of Assisi, who in 1219, during the Crusades, walked into the midst of the Saracen camp and preached for days, and eventually spoke with the Sultan of Egypt in the hope of converting him...He was a sign of contradiction to all parties in the wars. He was unarmed. He was a presence of Christ to the major adversary of Christian civilization in those times
