Family news

Joy was in Manila and arrived late last night so I don't have her news.

The Pope is due in Manila and the country is essentially shut down for him. The usual "they picked up all the street kids" articles, the "the churches are empty and he's just trying to fill them" articles and the usual "two priests baptized their children and insisted they should marry" articles already appearing. Duh. Here in the Philippines, such mistresses are common, including among married men, but they are usually ignored socially.

Presumably the US Catholic left will insist he wants "Reforms" i.e. make the church into Episcopal lite, and the right will hyperventillate when he supports environmental stewardship and talks against corruption of the oligarchy here (which will be interpreted as supporting socialism) , but the emphasis will be on the poor.

But "love for the poor" too often means a lady bountiful idea, keeping the poor there for you to take care of (read bribe so they vote for you). What is really needed is jobs, and for that you need honesty and hard work, something that the Protestants push one on one, from an equal to an equal, not as a superior who takes care for you.

The Pope's words are always filtered via the liberal press, but if I have time I'll watch on EWTN, which is on our cable, or on the local stations, not via CNN which is a mess, or the BBC which reports more accurately but has a tin ear for religion.