Summing up the day:

John Allen files the first of his reports as well as a correspondent's notebook:

Yet among some of the American delegates, there was evidence Thursday that Benedict XVI's call to a full-bodied, unapologetic version of Catholicism resonated.

"As Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, he was like the church's bulldog," said Pedro Russell, a 21-year-old from Bitteroot Valley, Montana, who cuts quite a figure -- tall, with bright green hair, and a rosary around his neck.

"He was puttin' the smack-down on heresy," Russell said. "Personally, I'm looking forward to that. There was a lot of slightly misguided teachings that I grew up with. Knowing that there's somebody up there who's made his entire cardinal's career out of straightening out those heresies and defending the true, solid teachings of the church is something I am very, very excited about for the youth. He'll be able to deliver a strict, simple answer that will lead them to deeper life. "

A CBSNews "reporter's notebook:"

And what of Benedict? Well, he did laugh when his hat blew off as he exited the plane. He did not kiss the ground, and seems less than comfortable with the exuberant youth whom he must reach, woo and win to meet his aim of using them to “reinvigorate” the church.

For their part, the youngsters are more than willing to embrace him, even forgive him for not being their beloved John Paul II, the only pope most of them have ever known.

The problem is that the new man seems unsure of how to hug them back, as it were. That may be why so far the scenes have been more like a small-time dignitary visiting a parochial venue, rather that the world stage event of the last papacy. But there are three days to go, so we shall see.

I absolutely disagree with that even though, you know, I'm not a Real Journalist right there in Cologne. I watched a lot of this today, and I saw the Pope, pausing, smiling, chuckling in a very relaxed kind of way...startled, perhaps by the vigorous Ben-e-dett-o! shouts that burst out while he was speaking. Ah, the need to frame a story. Just let the story tell itself, would ya?

Not going to happen, I suppose, judging from what Tim Drake said about his conversation with some other journalists.

Brandon Evans from the Criterion (ArchIndy paper) reports on catechetical sessions with bishops and seeing the Pope last evening.

Ad Limina has more good anecdotes, including the widespread response to the CFFC posters. Heh.

Oh, and on that CFFC thing, Papabile had a friend in Cologne go check out the "basement" in the "luxury hotel" where the group was having its press conferences.

Rocco's got a rundown of the Pope's schedule tomorrow, which includes a visit to the Synagogue of Cologne, lunch with youth, and a gathering with seminarians.

For the actual youth who are at World Youth Day, the schedule includes more catechesis, a Youth Festival and a Way of the Cross, celebrated in 400 different spots in the area. The English text of the Way of the Cross is here (pdf file)

Comments

[David Kubiak]

Interesting that John Allen gives Fr. Ratzinger credit for composing Cardinal Frings' insolent harangue against the Holy Office at the Council. As Cardinal Prefect he always spoke in deferential terms about Cardinal Ottaviani.

[Maureen]

What is WITH those Irish priests doing commentary on the Pope's synagogue visit? Are they allergic to translating what people are saying, or at least reading off the press releases of the speeches? Do they feel our heads will explode if we get to hear any of the beautiful cantoring?

(I can't believe they drowned out the beginning of Genesis chanted in Aramaic! I wanted to hear that!)

Oh, wait. They did provide one translation. They read Psalm 23 so as to drown out the incredibly beautiful cantoring of that. Why even bother televising the synagogue visit if you're just going to talk over everything and not translate the speeches? *grump* Where's C-SPAN when I need it?

Meanwhile, you can tell by the look on the Pope's face that he's listening hard -- especially to the Aramaic and Hebrew chanting, as he's no doubt studied those languages.

Also, what's with so many of the priests and male visitors not wearing anything on their heads? Couldn't everyone have been issued World Youth Day beanies? Don't they have any tissues in their pockets to fold into emergency kippahs/yarmulkes? Why do the Boy Scouts not have their hats on? It just looks so rude....

[Maureen]

I've given up on EWTN's Irish priests and gone over to the Vatican TV feed. It keeps dropping out, but at least I have more of a chance to understand the speech. Even with my feeble German. I guess I can try Vatican radio, too -- maybe mute the TV like it's a baseball game with radio coverage.

[Maureen]

I went over to the Low bandwidth feed of Vatican TV, and it stopped dropping out.

Now the Pope's talking, and now the Irish priests are actually reading out the text of his speech. Which stinks, because the stuff the Jewish guys were saying seemed to be both interesting and moving from what I could understand of it.

Don't quit your day jobs, annoying Irish priests, unless your day jobs involve broadcasting.

Maureen, who loves Irish accents and never thought she'd hate the sound of one....

[KH]

Amy, I agree with your disagreement. From Tim Drake's blog:

"Outside the synagogue, a WYD volunteer greeted him with a WYD backpack. A security person took the bag away from the pope, but the pope then turned and asked for it back, posing with it for a photo."

Does that sound like a pope who doesn't know how to "hug them back"? I get this sense that they don't like that he isn't as photogenic as JPII, which is one of the worst sins of contemporary society.

[John P Sheridan]

A perusal of the web seems to confirm that at least the German media has gone with the story that Tim Drake saw percolating among the journalists on the press boat; namely, that not many Germans are attending WYD.

My question is this. When Tim raised the issue that he was talking to pilgrims from Muenster; the journalists dismissed him by saying "but they're from the south." Can anyone explain this? Why does the south not "count" in Germany?

[Sandra Miesel]

John Allen seems not to notice that "putting the smackdown on heresy" was a joke slogan, not an original remark by the interviewee.
Regionalism is still intense among Germans. (My husband mutters that Benedict is properly a Bavarian, not a "German.")Perhaps pilgrims only count if they're from the reporter's own area.

[David Pearson]

As an appreciator of John Allen's recent journalism, and a co-worker of Tim Drake, I'm struck by the difference in approaches between the two reporter's notebooks,

http://www.youngandcatholic.com/

and

http://nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/wyd081805a

Drake presents himself as a pilgrim who is, incidentally, a journalist there to cover an event. Allen presents himself in the exact inverse of that equation -- a journalist who just happens to be Catholic at a Catholic event.

Innerestin' to compare and contrast. I think it's good to have access to the thoughts and observations of both.

[KH]

David, I agree with your assessment and how it's beneficial to have access to both.

Also, tell John Burger I said Hi...coincidence: I just-this-minute walked in from a performance at the exact same hall where he had his wedding reception. Except they had A/C.
:-D