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As CNS reports, the Popemobile is on its way! I can't wait till the Magliozzi brothers on "Car Talk" get hold of this one. Popes have almost always used Mercedes (though you'd think the Bavarian Benedict might like a BMW, no?), and this one is a modified version of the Mercedes-Benz ML430 off-road vehicle. Not terribly gas-friendly for this environmentally-sensitive pontiff. But he's not traveling very far in it.
So as the "Car Talk" fellows would say, here's a Puzzler for you: When did popes start using Popemobiles?
Stay tuned for the answer.
BBC photo
Comments
Voice of the Faithful (VOTF)wants to make the visit of the pope more an opportunity for constructive reform of the church. Here is part of the statement which VOTF will circulate nationally to stimulate Benedict the 16th to consider serious reform in the church. It is a church axion that "The Church must always reform itself." Here is part of VOTF's statement seeking reform:
Voice
of the Faithful presents this message
on the occasion of Pope Benedict XVI’s
visit to the U.S.
Mindful of the many serious challenges
facing our Church today, yet hopeful
of a better tomorrow, VOTF’s 35,000votf.org
members seek the transformation of
our beloved Church.
• We envision a Church that is open,
transparent, and accountable.
• We imagine a Church that embraces
the gifts and talents of the laity.
• We dream of a Church governed
by compassion, informed by justice,
empowered by equality, and animated
to act collegially.
But we cannot attain this
transformation until we heal the
wounds still open.
The Moral Crisis We Face Today
Many Catholics know too well the
human suffering and financial costs
associated with the the global clergy
sexual abuse crisis. By 2004, in the U.S.
alone, more than 4,300 priests were
alleged to have abused almost 11,000
young people between the years
1950 and 2002.1 Legal settlements
by American dioceses amounted to
$615 million in 2007, and now exceed
$2.3 billion overall. Catholic dioceses
have filed for bankruptcy in Alaska,
Arizona, California, Iowa, Oregon, and
Washington. Equally troubling is the
fact that our leaders contributed to
this terrible toll.
How can our Church be a
moral beacon when so many
bishops who repeatedly
transferred known predators
remain in office?
Without justice for the abused and
accountability from the bishops, this
crisis will continues to plague our
Church.
Our Church Faces Many Other
Serious Challenges As Well
The declining number of clergy
jeopardizes the availability of Eucharist.
The laity continue to be excluded from
meaningful participation in decisionmaking.
Catholics -- particularly the
youth -- are leaving our Church to join
other religions, or no religion at all.
The hopeful vision of Vatican II remains
largely unfulfilled, and deep polarization
exists in our Church about how best to
fulfill our sacred mission.
We seek a lasting, transformed
Body of Christ that serves all
people with compassion, collegiality
and cooperation. We believe in
collaboration among all members of
our Church in order to achieve this
transformation.
The rest can be found at VOTF.ORG
Posted by: Biaggio | March 28, 2008 8:16 PM
We love Benedict XVI...
The demographic winter is coming to the US.
Aging workforce.
geocities(dot)com/demographic_crash
Posted by: Solange Miller | March 29, 2008 8:47 AM
This blog is very interesting. Way to Go, David!!!
Posted by: cricketbug | March 30, 2008 9:05 PM
"Thou shall not pollute the Earth" is the new sin as Benedict has ruled.
Being chauffeured in an armour plated V8 is a prime example of this sin.
Posted by: StHilarious | April 3, 2008 3:17 AM
Pope Pius XI was the first to receive a Mercedes-Benz as an official car in 1930 - a Nürburg 460 Pullman limousine.
Posted by: ijal | July 18, 2008 6:56 AM
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