Andy Ponders The Pope's Visit

Andy Rooney Reflects On The Pope's Visit And Papal History

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

---

Pope Benedict XVI is back in Rome now but I'll bet he's still thinking about the good time he had in Washington and New York. I don't think he gets out much, usually.

Being pope doesn't look like much fun but when we saw pictures of him here, Benedict seemed to be enjoying himself.

Considering the fact that there are over 200 million people in the United States who are not Catholic, you'd have to say that Americans were very nice to Pope Benedict while he was here. Not only are millions of Americans not Catholic, they aren't Protestant or Jewish either. They aren't anything religious but they were all respectful of this pope.

The word "pope" comes from the Latin word for "papa" and most of the popes we've seen giving us their friendly wave from the Vatican balcony seem like likeable "papas".

I had not realized that there were 15 Popes before this one who were also named "Benedict" but there have been 265 popes in the Catholic church since around 33 A.D., so it is understandable.

I'm a little weak on Catholic history because my mother sent me to a Presbyterian church when I was eight or ten years old and they didn't mention popes there. They didn't knock the pope, they just didn't mention him.

There have been 12 popes named "Pius". I never knew anyone named "Pius" myself but a pope gets to pick his own name. It would be nice if we could all do that wouldn't it? Pick our own name.

Being pope must be a very hard job though. You should really be about a perfect person if you're the pope. Not much place for even minor shortcomings in your character. If you hit your thumb with a hammer, you'd have to be careful not to get caught saying "Damn."

I don't know what the story is on money. Does the pope carry any change in his pocket?

It would be interesting to know whether a lot of people converted to Catholicism because they liked the pope while he was here. Probably not. People are pretty set in their ways about religion. Either they are or they aren't.

[lightcop]

Emperor Constantine was the first Pope!!



Insignia of Pagan and Papal Rome.


Pope Constantine (306-337).
1
(Babylon)
2
(Persia)
3
(Greece)
4
(Rome)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=10

The Bible Code!!


Pope Constantine was born Flavius Valerius Constantinus at Nis on Feb. 27, 280, in what is now Serbia, son of the commander Constantius Chlorus (later Constantius I) and Helena, a prostitute and Balkan barmaid. Constantius became co-emperor in 305.

305AD to 306AD Andy, "NOT 32AD"

[lightcop]

Emperor Constantine was the first Pope!!



Insignia of Pagan and Papal Rome.


Pope Constantine (306-337).
1
(Babylon)
2
(Persia)
3
(Greece)
4
(Rome)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=10

The Bible Code!!


Pope Constantine was born Flavius Valerius Constantinus at Nis on Feb. 27, 280, in what is now Serbia, son of the commander Constantius Chlorus (later Constantius I) and Helena, a prostitute and Balkan barmaid. Constantius became co-emperor in 305.

305AD to 306AD Andy, "NOT 32AD"

[lightcop]

Emperor Constantine was the first Pope!!



Insignia of Pagan and Papal Rome.


Pope Constantine (306-337).
1
(Babylon)
2
(Persia)
3
(Greece)
4
(Rome)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=10

The Bible Code!!


Pope Constantine was born Flavius Valerius Constantinus at Nis on Feb. 27, 280, in what is now Serbia, son of the commander Constantius Chlorus (later Constantius I) and Helena, a prostitute and Balkan barmaid. Constantius became co-emperor in 305.

305AD to 306AD Andy, "NOT 32AD"

[cfin5]

simminsj,......1 timothy 2:5-- For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;.......Isn''t this why the Bible describes Jesus as being the last Adam in 1st. Corinthians 15?

[cfin5]

simminsj,......Since Jesus was indeed born of the virgin Mary, that does not mean that she was sinless. When Joseph and his mother finally found Jesus in the Temple talking with the doctors. Mary rebuked Jesus by saying,...."Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. Jesus then said,...."How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my fathers business?.......Was not Jesus'' reply none other than a polite yet accurate correction to his mother for implying that Joseph was his genetic father?---- Luke 2:41-49

[cfin5]

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.---- 1 Timothy 4: 1-5

[simminsj]

Let''s see what Luke has to say:

Luke 1:35 - the child will be called holy, the Son of God. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, or the Mother of God (the "Theotokos").
Luke 1:28 - "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God.
Luke 1:28 - also, the phrase "full of grace" is translated from the Greek word "kecharitomene." This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just "highly favored." She has been perfected in grace by God. "Full of grace" is only used to describe one other person - Jesus Christ in John 1:14.
Luke 1:38 - Mary''s fiat is "let it be done to me according to thy word." Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration.
Luke 1:42 - "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus." The phrase "blessed are you among women" really means "you are most blessed of all women." A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary.

[simminsj]

Luke 1:43 - Elizabeth''s use of "Mother of my Lord" (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used "Adonai" which means Lord God) is the equivalent of "Holy Mary, Mother of God" which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus'' Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus'' human nature - mothers are mothers of persons, not natures).
Luke 1:44 - Mary''s voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeth''s womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor.
Luke 1:46 - Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers.
Luke 1:48 - Mary prophesies that all generations shall call her blessed, as Catholics do in the "Hail Mary" prayer. What Protestant churches have existed in all generations (none), and how many of them call Mary blessed with special prayers and devotions? Thus, Catholics do as the bible commands: calling Mary blessed.

[simminsj]

"Wrong. It was Constantine who put a Christian veneer on Roman idolatry." Nope.

"Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre- eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3:3:2 (A.D. 180).

There are hundreds of examples like this. But I''m limited to 1500 characters...

[fuzzybear9]

Hello CBS

I think your right Andy

I`m not a Catholic
but when did common courtesy go out of fashion ?
I think its a shame, if we can`t extend hospitality to any foreign visitor.

sincerely Fuzzy Bear

[cfin5]

Wrong. It was Constantine who put a Christian veneer on Roman idolatry. Venus was renamed Mary for example. There are no idolaters in Heaven folks. Better start reading what the word says instead of listening to what someone says it says.

[it_oldtimer]

@ jtsch:

Too bad you feel so offended - but who really cares if you are?

The pope is certainly nobody special to me, nor is he particularly special to the majority of Americans. You just need to accept that simple fact and get used to it.

I am not required to bow down or honor your particular religious deities or belief system in any way. I personally think that all religion is just a form of ignorant superstition, and I also feel that the catholic popes in particular have done far more harm than good for the human race over the centuries.

You can believe whatever you like, of course -- just don''t assume that the rest of us are in any way obliged to "respect" your particular brand of religious foolishness. We simply don''t have to.

[tucano2]

It''s not quite a level playing field when someone of one "faith" proclaims "jihad" and is criticised, and a different man of a different "faith" proclaims Americans are bad people because we resist the invasion across our southern border while this "faith" is losing American membership and promotes the invasion of illegal aliens because they represent additional membership and MONEY.

[skippack1]

The Pope has spoken out against war and capital punishment. Maybe not in front of his audience when he was in America but he has spoken on these issues. It just amazes me how people enjoy condemning the Catholic religion. Just think...without the Catholic religion, you wouldn''t have too much to say, or people to blame. Or could it be that we Catholics have a strong faith...something which our critics may not have.

[imotorist]

The pope wouldn''t say anything. He probably hasn''t picked up a hammer lately, if ever.

[superdem]

There are two wars going on in which American troops are in far away foreign lands trying to subdue the local people, and this Pope came to this country and said not one word about either war. This is a man of PEACE ? This is a man of conviction ? I never heard him call for an end to these wars, I never heard him say one word about the killing and the dying. I never heard him urge any of the throngs who came to see their "rock star" to resist the wars, to petition their congressmen, to engage in demonstrations - no, nothing, absolute silence - from him, and from his thousands of "faithful" - they were all as silent as the dead from these wars. Sorry, but no one died from the *** abuse scandals, this Pope gets no credit for saying the obvious but continuing to employ abusers. The Catholic Church is obviously NOT against war. That is sickening. Don''t even talk about "bad taste" - the Pope and his followers don''t have the moral authority to speak about what''s right or wrong.

[messiahx4eve]

Just a man elevated to imaginary statuses by humans that are so desperate for self belief in anything, or answers to questions of a universal nature that we delude ourselves into illusionary dominion over our own proported self-importance. The very first pope was a shaman in Eutruscan times, that''s where the idea of the pope orginated and during the 12 century, christianity had almost died out completely until the HOLY ROMAN CHURCH personified satan in human form. Thats reality. Man creates the gods they worship and with those very gods, come the demons as well.

[t27simmons]

I''m not a Catholic, but I have a great amount of affection for the Pope and all religious leaders who try to use their role to improve the world. I fell in love with Pope Benadict because of his visit to a synagogue to call for more tolerance. I''d die to protect him because he reached out to a wheel chair bound Corpus Christi boy. The Pope may be just a man, but the role he fulfills transcends being "just" a man. He is also the voice of an entire religion, and he has an incredible audience. He has a tremendous opportunity to do good. I am glad that he is taking advantage of that responsibility to try to make the world a better place.

[amazedd]

RKO?

[jimfinster]

The pope is just a man. Nothing more.