Catholic Transcript Online

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell

The media coverage of the Papal Visit was more than extensive. Television, radio, the internet, and newsprint gave impressive time and space to the events of the visit, and for the most part the coverage was quite favorable. Subsequent surveys and polls have indicated that the Pope made a telling impact on participants and observers alike, both Catholic and otherwise.

A poll particularly deserving of our attention is that of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, on the effects of the visit on Catholics and on Americans in general. The Marist Poll has enjoyed an outstanding reputation nationally for many years, so its conclusions merit serious consideration.

The poll reports that 87 percent of Catholics and 84 percent of Americans overall saw, read, or heard something about Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States. Those are staggering numbers, and the results were gratifying. A significant majority of Americans in general now have a more positive view of Pope Benedict and of the Catholic Church. Seventy-one percent of Americans now have a favorable impression of the Pope. Eighty-eight percent of practicing Catholics and 73 percent of non-practicing Catholics believe the Pope’s trip met or exceeded their expectations.

The report highlights the finding that Catholics were personally affected by Pope Benedict’s visit: many, two-thirds, are more likely to appreciate being a Catholic and to understand the Catholic Church’s position on important issues; a majority are more in touch with their own spiritual values; and half are more likely to make family a bigger part of their life and lead a moral life. That is an impressive week’s work by the Holy Father!

According to the poll, the most meaningful parts of the Pope’s visit were his meeting with the victims and families of children abused by priests, his visit to Ground Zero, and the Masses at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium.

On May 17, during our Priesthood Ordination Mass for Father Collins Anaeche in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, I quoted from the Holy Father’s homily in the Mass he celebrated for priests and religious in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a month to the day on April 19. That talk for me was a particular gem among the many he delivered while he was in Washington and New York.

Looking to the stained glass in St. Patrick’s, and we can relish the spectacular stained glass of our own Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, he pointed out that many authors over the years, mentioning by name the American Nathaniel Hawthorne, have used the image of stained glass to illustrate the mystery of the Church. From the outside it can be dark and dreary, but inside it comes alive. Pope Benedict stated, "It is only from the inside, from the experience of faith and ecclesial life that we see the Church as she truly is, flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit."

The challenge for all of us is to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Church and to communicate more effectively the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love.

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In that same talk, the Holy Father called upon us to be "the first friend of the poor, the homeless, the stranger, the sick, and all who suffer." It has been a while since I have made reference to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal in this column, but in the context of Pope Benedict’s words it is appropriate here. Currently the total is $8,611,706, running neck and neck with last year’s numbers and with many months to go.

The effects are showing.

The Hispanic Family Institute will be dedicated on June 17, the new Catholic Charities Center in New Haven will be dedicated in July, and construction work has begun, finally, for Cathedral Green, with the timeline calling for the women and children to move into their apartments a year from now. The Malta Mobile Medical Van continues to expand its services. A new Catholic Charities Center for Waterbury will open in October of this year. Tuition assistance grants continue to go out to every Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese.

We all know the daunting challenges of the economy this year. It is ever more inspiring, however, to see the thousands of people who are increasing their gifts in this Appeal. They understand that food pantries and soup kitchens are running perilously low around the Archdiocese. People who never needed them before, particularly the elderly, are coming for help in expanding numbers. The Appeal is a direct and effective way to meet that challenge.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to all who are making special sacrifices to contribute to the Appeal this year. You are a tremendous inspiration. Yours is a heroic response to Pope Benedict’s challenge to be "the first friend of the poor . . ." You carry forward the mission he underlined repeatedly during his visit, "To go forth as heralds of hope, Christ Our Hope." The Impact Continues.