When I mention that I (the guy from The Wanderer) and Mr. John L. Allen (of the National Catholic Reporter) are friends, some don’t believe me, though why I cannot tell.
Today there was an informal meeting of journalists at the Foreign Press Club in Rome with John Allen, who has become quite the expert on the state of the Church in South America. He had interesting comments.
At the heart of the discussion was the Holy Father’s upcoming visit to Brazil and, indeed, the perception of His Holiness in the Press together the the major trends the Church faces in the future. Allen is preparing a new book on the latter theme.
Here is a shot of the aforementioned in the bar of the Press Club (which I am being "pressed" to join,… and just may).
Since the meeting was very informative I even postponed my going to Spiderman 3 this afternoon but I caught up with it tonight with a priest friend.
BTW: We are of like mind in the situation of the Motu Proprio – while the Holy Father is in S. America, indeed probably while the CELAM is meeting, nothing major will come out. The Church’s focus needs to be there. But, it is going to happen. More about that another time.
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He had interesting comments.
Ok, out with it, Father! Given that Mr. Allen is such an expert on the Church in South America, did he whisper to you that Benedict is actually going to announce the motu proprio in Brazil? Like, “Alright, you liberation theology types, you asked for it, now you get it!”
Sounds like a great evening, Father. It baffles me as well why folks assume that people with differing views can be friends. It’s also a fairly recent development. Indeed, I would say it’s very “traditional” of you to have friends with differing views. :)
BTW, I look forward to Mr. Allen’s reporting from Brazil. While I am eagerly awaiting the publication of the MP, I was fascinated to see Mr. Allen report that charismatics are roughly half the entire Catholic population of Latin America. It just shows the breadth of the issues the Holy Father has to grapple with everyday.
Oh, and do join the Club. Hopefully there will be many occasions for great meals with colleagues that will ruffle your detractors. ;)
BTW, I do miss those security words – I feel out of the loop…..
I don’t read the National Catholic Reporter; I don’t
read the Wanderer. I do read anything that John L.
Allen writes; I do read anything that Fr. John
Zuhlsdorf writes. They are smarter than those who
employ them. No wonder they are friends.
Father,
I saw Spiderman 3 yesterday afternoon with my youngest son. Very Catholic, and I’m talking about the last sentence of the film, not the scenes in the church.
I agree with Fr. Thompson exactly.
While my sympathies are greatly with the Fr. Z. side of things, I did note that Mr. Allen’s book on Opus Dei was basically very fair (besides that he interviewed a numerary assistant who is the granddaughter of some friends and fellow Walsingham parishioners here in Houston).
Keep up the good work, Father.
I do read anything that John L.
Allen writes I do read anything that Fr. John
Zuhlsdorf writes. They are smarter than those who
employ them. No wonder they are friends.
John Allen is easily explainable–he is a grad of the University of Kansas. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
I remember an interesting passage years ago in a book by Frank Sheed. I think it was The Church and I.
Sheed remarked that he had spoken at an event hosted by the
Wanderer and he had spoken at another hosted by the National Catholic Reporter. On both occasions, he remarked that it would be a good thing if the editorial staffs of both newspapers would occasionally get together for dinner.
The same comment got the same big laughs from both audiences. Sheed noted sadly that he hadn’t been joking.
Jeff: And so it happens now, these years later.
It Looks like Mr Allen needs a good meal.
Please feed him,Father.
God bless you