Pope in the Holy Land

The Pope is doing very well in the Holy Land as expected. He does not have the star quality of John Paul, and both the Jewish people and Muslims have 'bones to pick' with the Holy Father, but his visit is going well. John Paul blazed a beautiful trail that Pope Benedict XVI can now follow, adding his own special gifts which are easier to share since John Paul laid the groundwork for numerous apostolic visits around the world. John Paul was adored by the Jewish people, and Pope Benedict will probably never achieve such popularity, but his track record outweighs the damage caused by the lifting of the excommunication of Bishop Williamson and others. Regarding the Church's relations with the Muslim world, the Pope was received very well in Jordan, made a pilgrimage to a mosque, and has shown that anyone who takes his comments at Regensburg to mean that the Church is ready to antagonize Muslim people is looking for a fight that Pope Benedict did not pick. Many prayers for a safe and fruitful apostolic journey for our Holy Father!

By the way, good PR move to celebrate a first communion while in the Easter season! The pictures are priceless!