Back Home ... Almost

As some of you know, I have not been participating on Intentional Disciples recently, too busy getting ready for, and then on, my trip to Rome for the audience with Pope Benedict for the 25th anniversary of the pontifical recognition of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation.

Well, some plane difficulties have me stuck in Paris rather than on my way to Chicago. (I'll save you the complaints. Despite being confined on a practical level to one of those hotel airports that frankly look the same, whether you are in Kansas City or Paris, I have a tough time complaining about missing another day's work and getting a chance to test how well I remember French. Of course, that assumes the kind people at this hotel bother to give me the chance. I'm thankful, but can't help being a little disappointed when they switch to English at the first sight of that blue cover of the passport.)

So, with that, I don't have access to the 800 pictures -- aren't digital cameras and gigs of memory great! -- or the audio of the audience, most of all I will spare Intentional Disciples readers by posting over at Integrity. But I thought some might be interested in the Pope's address, which Fred of Deep Furrows has posted here. And if you happened to see the EWTN coverage of the event, and somehow spotted a blue poncho in the sea of ponchos and umbrellas covering the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square, about four or five rows back in the section just below the statue of St. Paul on the right-side of the steps to the Basilica, then you spotted me. I'll be amazed if that's true.