I had the extraordinary privilege last week of following the Pope's pilgrimage at very close quarters. I had this access both as a bishop and as a commentator for NBC.
It was thrilling to witness just how rapturously the American people received the Pope and how affected the Holy Father was by this reception. Many images stay vividly in my mind: the Pope kissing the forehead of the ten year old boy with cerebral palsy, the rabbi and imam praying together at the September 11th memorial, a little boy from a New York Catholic school showing the Pope how to maneuver his way around a Smart Board.
Read Full Article »