Join us today for the Ask Sister podcast, a live podcast where you have the opportunity to engage with us and ask questions about faith, nuns, prayer, religious life, and pretty much everything in between!

What: Ask Sister LIVE Podcast
When: TODAY at 6 p.m. Central Time (your timezone)
Where: www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE

Here are some of the questions we’ll address in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Is it still a vocation if you’re attracted to a simple lifestyle in a convent community, but not so much to God and religion?
• The bible says that God punishes children for the sins of their parents. What does that mean? Isn’t life is hard enough with just our own sins?
• Would becoming a nun force someone to be a better person?
• According to scripture, wives are to submit to their husbands. Similarly, are nuns supposed to obey the pope?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

Join the nuns and friends for a LIVE podcast today at 5pm Central Time (USA).

The pope has arrived at the Madrid airport, and the World Youth Day pilgrims and media are already flocking to the plaza for welcoming the pope this evening (7:30 pm Madrid Time). We’ll be there too! During the afternoon, we’ll podcast LIVE, bringing you streaming audio and video segments of the action in the plaza. Then at midnight Madrid Time (5pm Central Time USA) we’ll podcast live from our mobile studio, describing the sights and sounds of the day! Hope you can join us!

Here are some of the sights we encountered yesterday:

Heraldos del Evangelio -- one of the coolest habits we've ever seen, complete with black leather riding boots and a chain around the waist!

Young Catholics from Korea talk to the nuns about their WYD experience

The Queen and King of Spain welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Madrid and World Youth Day 2011

How times change! Today, while reading about the space shuttle Endeavour, whose final mission ended this morning, I came across this photo (at right). It shows the first call ever made by a pope to outer space. During the call, on May 21, Pope Benedict spoke to the crew of the Endeavour, which included two Italians. The pope applauded their dedication and courage.

Elsewhere in the heavens, I imagine Galileo smiling.

Sure, the 17th century was a long time ago, and Galileo has probably let bygones be bygones. Besides, the idea that the earth revolves around the sun has long ceased to be controversial. And our understanding of how to interpret the bible has changed a lot, so we look at verses like Psalm 104: 5, “You fixed the earth on its foundation, never to be moved” very differently than did people hundreds of years ago.

I’m encouraged by the photo! It reminds me that our Catholic Christian tradition is a living tradition, in conversation with the world around us, however delayed or timely that conversation might be.

Pope’s call to space: AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Nathan Lindstrom
Endeavour space shuttle: photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls

Happy Earth Day! First is a beatiful photo Sister Maxine took of her nephew with a calf. Also we have some link joy for you! Let us know of other cool links to share.

 
A Catholic Earth Day:

• If You Want Peace, Protect Creation by Pope Benedict XVI (January 1, 2010)
• Going Green: For the Sake of God’s Creation by Mary Jo Dangel in Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine (October, 2007)
• Why Catholics Care for Creation by Sister Joan Brown, OSF, in Catholic Update (October 2008)
• Earth Day 2010 Prayer by Sister Jean Coughlin, IHM

Cool Earth Day Stuff:

• Earth Day E-Cards by CatholicGreetings.org
• Ecokids Canada’s environmental destination for kids
• Earth Day 2010 Song created and performed by 13-year-old Leia Schwartz of Florida
• 3 Cool Ways to Celebrate Earth Day with your Family
• Earth Day Recipes
• Green Your Gardening

The Origin of Earth Day:

• History of Earth Day by Earth Day Network
• Earth Day at 40: How it began, where it is going by John Roach for National Geographic News (April 22, 2010)

The Core Issues of Earth Day:

• Advocacy
• Climate Change
• Conservation and Biodiversity
• Education
• Energy
• Food and Agriculture
• Green EconomyGreen SchoolsRecycling and Waste Reduction
• Sustainable Development
• Water

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?

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Join Sister Maxine and Sister Julie for LIVE prayer podcast today at 6 p.m. Central Time (check your time zone). You can share your prayer requests with us and the A Nun’s Life community. http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE

In this year’s message to young people, Pope Benedict XVI reflects on the World Youth Day 2010 theme: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17).

Pope Benedict XVI urged young people to follow their dreams, dedicate their talents to the common good, and grow in love and faith. The pope told the world’s young Catholics to not let life’s difficulties lead to discouragement. “Instead nurture in your heart great hopes for fraternity [sic], justice and peace. The future is in the hands of those who know how to seek and find strong convictions in life and hope,” he said in his message for World Youth Day 2010. The Vatican and most dioceses around the world will mark World Youth Day on Palm Sunday, March 28. In his message, released in Italian and French by the Vatican March 15, the pope asked young people to build a more just and fair world. Changing the world for the better does not have to mean “performing heroic or extraordinary acts, but allowing your talents and potential to bear fruit and committing yourself to constantly growing in faith and love,” he said. (source: Catholic News Service)

Pope Benedict writes that the situation facing the young person in Mark’s Gospel is one that faces all youth. He speaks of the importance of taking the time to build one’s “project of life”.

“The season of life that you are immersed in is a time of discovery: of the gifts that God has lavished upon you and of your responsibilities. It is, moreover, a time of fundamental choices to build your ‘project of life.’” The Pope urges youth not to be fearful in answering the question: “What must I do, so that my life might have full value and full meaning?” “To discover the ‘project of life’ that can make you plainly happy, start listening to God, who has a design of love for each of you,” writes the Pope. (source: Catholic News Agency)

What steps have you taken in your “project of life”? What are some of the road blocks and scenic views that you’ve encountered?

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Join Sister Julie and Sister Maxine for evening prayer at 6 p.m. CDT
at http://anunslife.org/LIVE.

It is heart-warming to hear of and receive so many words of support for U.S. sisters from lay people, bishops, priests, and religious from across the globe. Most recently leaders of communities of Catholic women religious in Europe offered their support and encouragement. See the article European women religious send warm support to U.S. sisters in National Catholic Reporter (December 15, 2009). There have also been messages of support from sisters in Rome and in Asia and Oceania. Another powerful show of support is the Thank You, Sister campaign which received over 300 letters of support which will be sent to Mother Mary Clare Millea, Cardinal Franc Rodé, Cardinal Francis George, and Pope Benedict XVI as well as leadership teams of communities of women religious in the US.

The encouragement and support of so many people reminds me of stepping up and simply being present and in solidarity with another who is engaged in a tough experience. There are all sorts of ways that we can show our support, that we can stand up for another and stand beside another. How will we choose to do that today? Who will come across our path who needs a kind word, a breath of fresh air, a helping hand, or just a warm presence?

Happy Easter! This Easter Monday we celebrate Easter and Nunday with a beautiful photo and story of Sister Mary Ruth Dittman, SDS. Sister Mary Ruth is a Sister of the Divine Savior. The Salvatorians, as the Sisters of the Divine Savior are known, minister throughout the US and world.

The photo and story below were sent in by Miss Dina.

I am part of Saint Catherine Church congregation in Phoenix, AZ, and we had went on a 12 day pilgrimage three years ago to Italy. That was when I met a Nun for the very first time, her name was Sister Mary Ruth. Sister Mary Ruth sat next to me through out our pilgrimage, and we ventured through to the many sites and beautiful churches of Italy. Even though my time with Sister Mary Ruth was for a short period of time, we had many talks about the pleasantries and harshness of our world. As each day went by and I watched her, I saw a servant of the Lord deal with these everyday obstacles with dignity, diplomacy and with such grace. I realized that I too should not have to compromise my dignity, my kindness and my love for the Lord in order to live in this sometimes harsh world. I believe God puts people in our paths for a reason and I’m glad God put Sister Mary Ruth in my path.

Oh yes!! As we finally reached our destination to our visit to the Vatican and to see Pope Benedict, you could see Sister Mary Ruth glow with excitement.

The photo is of Sister Mary Ruth and Miss Dina at the Vatican waiting to see Pope Benedict.

To see all the photos of Catholic sisters and nuns and links to their stories, visit the A Nun’s Life Facebook photo album. If you’ve got a photo of a real Catholic sister or nun, check out the details on submitting your photo for consideration.

The Vatican has just published a message from Pope Benedict XVI in anticipation of the 43rd World Day of Communications.

New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship (January 24, 2009) is the theme for this year. Writes the Pope,

The new digital technologies are, indeed, bringing about fundamental shifts in patterns of communication and human relationships. These changes are particularly evident among those young people who have grown up with the new technologies and are at home in a digital world …

Pope Benedict addresses the digital generation and offers to them (and to all of us) ideas of how to use the new technologies for good “to promote human understanding and solidarity.”

These technologies are truly a gift to humanity and we must endeavour to ensure that the benefits they offer are put at the service of all human individuals and communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged and vulnerable.

While noting the many practical benefits of the new media and technologies, the Pope points out that the digital communication ultimately reflects our fundamental human desire to relate to one other.

This desire for communication and friendship is rooted in our very nature as human beings and cannot be adequately understood as a response to technical innovations…. When we find ourselves drawn towards other people, when we want to know more about them and make ourselves known to them, we are responding to God’s call – a call that is imprinted in our nature as beings created in the image and likeness of God, the God of communication and communion.

Pope Benedict encourages people “Who are active in the emerging environment of digital communication to commit themselves to promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.” He then goes on to explain what each of these three elements mean and concludes with an appeal to young Catholic believers to mirror the great Apostles and disciples of the early Church who brought the Good News of Jesus to the world by living the Gospel and proclaiming the Good News to all in the digital world.

I highly recommend reading the full text of the Pope’s message. What does it mean in terms of how we use Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, forums, text messaging, and other social networking technologies? How are we (Catholic sisters, parents, teachers, catechists, vocation directors, priests, and other Catholic leaders) present on these social networking sites and using the new technologies? Let us know what you think about the Pope’s message and what it’s call is to you.

P.S. Pope Benedict also just launched a Vatican YouTube channel. Read more at the LA Times.

Pope Benedict XVI canonized a Catholic nun as the first female Indian saint. Sister Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conceptiona is from Kerala, India. Here’s part of the Zenit.org article describing the Pope’s remarks at her canonization.

The Holy Father described the Indian religious as a woman “convinced that her cross was the very means of reaching the heavenly banquet prepared for her by the Father. By accepting the invitation to the wedding feast, and by adorning herself with the garment of God’s grace through prayer and penance, she conformed her life to Christ’s and now delights in the ‘rich fare and choice wines’ of the heavenly kingdom.”

Alphonsa (1910-1946), born Anna Muttathupadathu, was the last of five children born to a Christian family of noble origins. Left orphaned at only three months, she was raised by a maternal aunt and educated by an uncle who was a priest. But it was her maternal grandmother who helped her discover the faith and instilled a love of prayer in her already at a young age.

Her young life was marked not only by grave illnesses but also by ill-treatment from her aunt.

“Her heroic virtues of patience, fortitude and perseverance in the midst of profound suffering remind us that God always gives us the strength necessary to endure every trial,” the Pope said at the end of the Eucharistic celebration, after praying the Angelus.

“While the Christian faithful of India give thanks to God for their first daughter presented for public veneration, I would like to assure them of my prayer during this difficult time,” the Pontiff added.

According to reports from Indian bishops present at the synod on the Word of God underway in Rome, at least 80 Christians have been killed in the wave of religious persecution that the country is currently experiencing, especially in the state of Orissa.

Benedict XVI entrusted “those who seek peace and reconciliation to the providential care of almighty God.”

He also asked that the “authors of the violence renounce these acts and join with their brothers and sisters to work together in building a civilization of love.” (source: Zenit.org)

Check out the Zenit.org article for more on the three other people canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 12, 2008.

I think it’s pretty cool how Sister Alphonsa was canonized at a time when the people of India, especially Orissa, need some encouragement.

This is the last of the results for my unofficial, definitely unscientific Pope’s Visit Survey. The results were very interesting and I’m grateful for each of you who participated. (See all results of the Pope’s Visit Survey)

The final question of the survey was a fun one:

And just for fun, if you could be Pope, what name would you choose?

Angela Merici
Anthony
Any name I wanted
Athanasius
Augustine Thomas I (trust me, I’ve thought about it )
Barsanuphius
Bernadette
Caleb
Callixtus IV
Caterina
Clemens
Daisy
Dalmation I
Elizabeth I
Francis (or Frances)
Hildegard
Ignatius Paul
James
Joan
Joan II
Joan of Arc I
John XXIV (after Pope John XXIII)
John John Paul Paul I
John Paul III
Leo
Lillith
Lois the First
Magdalene
Maria Magdalena
Martin
Mary John
Mary Therese
Miriam I
Paul (after Saint Paul)
POP = Pope Obediah (Hebrew for one who serves God) Petra (form of Peter)
Puff the First
Sarah Gabriela
Scholastica
Sebastian
Thomas (after Thomas Merton)
Veronica I

Now we get into the hopes people have regarding The Pope’s Visit. These responses come from my survey on The Pope’s visit (See all results posted thus far at “The Pope’s Visit Survey“.

In the survey, I asked the following:

How do you hope the Pope’s visit will affect the Catholic and/or US community?

Here are the results. Many responses hit on these significant themes: unity, hope, reconciliation and healing, encouragement, connection to the American context, justice and care for God’s creation, renewal, and faithfulness.

The results are unedited and in no particular order. Anything you’d like to add in response to this survey question?

• revive faith and belief/acceptance of ALL doctrine.
• I hope his love for God and people remind us of what is important in life. I also hope people see the profound simplicity of this man (he did not attend the State dinner at the White House, he was so joyful at seeing people in Washington.) He exudes kindness and compassion, and I think he is a wonderful example.
• It’s already made my coworkers ask about my faith and the Catholic church. Discussion.
• more unity and enthusiasm
• I think it will be needed attention to those who have been abused. It will inspire some to convert. It encourage those who identify, but may not embrace the religion completely.
• He really has very little effect on the US community or the ordinary catholic.
• I would hope that the unfairly blown-out-of-proportion, media-manufactured ‘sex scandal’ would be set aside finally; and that the Papal visit could unify American Catholics into a force for true social justice, one which loudly and publicly disclaims the scornful and shameful acts of nominally-Christian hyper-conservative extremists such as Fred Phelps, and seeks to bring the love, respect, and tolerance that Catholicism stands for back into the forefront of our faith’s public image.
• I wish he’d give the bishops a back bone to take a stand on politicians who receive communion but vote for abortions
• To give inspiration and hope in faith to an increasingly secular society.
• I hope that his visit continues to open the renewed spiritual awareness/revitalization that is happening in the US.
• I think that Trad’s will be happy.
• bring about a revival of faith
• I hoped that he would meet with victims of pedophile priests as they have been trying to meet with him for years. I would hope that he follows his words of being ashamed by actions – actually seeing that abusers are kicked out of the priesthood. On another note, I would hope that his message of peace would get through to Pres. Bush so that this war can finally end.
• Catholic Identity
• More unity.
• hope he can help the churchs image after the child abuse scandals
• Greater unity of spirit.
• I hope it will encourage American Catholics to a greater dedication to their faith and that it will help foster more vocations.
• I don’t think it will. I think it is too little too late. The church appears to have shut herself off from the people.
• I hope that Catholics will become very spirited and active in this world!
• Both. The Catholic Church is in need of healing, and Benedict may be the instrument. The US community needs the moral compass and integrity the Pope is.
• I would like to hear him speak to the public about how important it is that we do not lose our faith, especially in these times.
• I don’t think it will have any affect
• I would like to see a return to high liturgical practice (not the saying in Latin, but the reverence of high church for Eucharist and the traditional practice of liturgy. I would like to see Bishops brought to task for breaking cannon law in their practice of the liturgy.
• I’m hoping it’ll draw together the polarization we’ve had since 2000.
• Hope, healing and belief for the US Catholic Church
• Renewal and reconciliation.
• Unify!
• I hope we as the Catholic community will form a more personal connection with him.
• Healing. Inspire non-practicing Catholics to return to the faith and non-Catholics to see the richness of the Catholic faith.
• I hope the by his visit, he will be a sign of witness to the American Catholic community of Christ’s love and unity.
• I hope the Pope will be open enough to actually listen to the views of American Catholics, instead of ignoring them or trying to shut them down, but I have no great expectations.
• It would be nice to have him put the Church’s teachings in context for Americans.
• Strengthen and encourage Catholic community, esp. in the matter of vocations; help turn the mind of the country at large from conservatism towards morality, from moral relativism towards justice.
• For once the US Church will get to show its beautiful face during the coverage of the Papal liturgies instead of the media’s focus on the negative. And the Pope’s address to the UN will show how the Church can and does call all of us to peace and global responsibility. We are relevant in modern society!
• Healing
• I hope that it shows Catholics and non-Catholics that the Pope hears, listens and understands the US citizens’ anger, distrust, fear and hope ( a genuine hope on the part of believers of all faiths and at a minimum even a cynical hope from all others).
• Give us a greater sense of hope in efforts to be creation-centered and sensitive to ecological issues of Mother Earth.
• If he could teach us to look to the poor & vulnerable in our society…
• That Catholics here will be on fire for God and correct our sinful ways and be true to the gospel
• My hope is that it will renew the American Church, awake many of us from our apathy towards faith, renew in us an obedience to orthodox Church teaching, and I hope it will affect the entire American community in our recognition of human rights and the unreasonableness of war.
• I hope the visit will have everyone, and the Church, examine the many “big world” moral issues of the day (war, starvation, poverty)and be candid about the differences in thought and action on those issues between the US government, the Church, and the world’s peoples.
• Excite people about the possibility for imporvement. Truth is universal – discouraging people from discovering/learning/interpreting scripture is a fear mechanism – Truth should never have to operate in fear.
• I would hope for his visit to help reunite the community and remind the leaders of the true/real reason for the being of the Catholic church.
• I hope that Americans will be open to his message of love and hope and respect. I hope his visit will have a positive and maybe healing effect on people who have been wounded by the recent scandals or any kind of feelings of non-acceptance.
• Honestly, I really loved JPII & am still partial to him, but I guess I hope Benedict just gives the US Church some love & listening. There is enough moralizing out of Rome – just visit us as a “papa”. Oh & I hope he gives Bush an earful about the war!
• Bring the Church closer together.
• I hope that people are able to hear his strong positions on the need for peace in Iraq, the need to alleviate global poverty, the need for humanitarian solutions to the US immigration challenge, and the need to protect Earth from environmental destruction. Unfortunately, the only position that is ever picked up on in the media is the anti-abortion one.
• Hopefully cause the Catholic church in America to get its act together. We’re a lazy bunch.
• Renew a sense of hope for the institution and quicken a sense of spirituality among the faithful and a stimulate wonder within the non-faithful.

More results from my survey on The Pope’s Visit (see my previous post “The Pope’s Visit Survey — some stats“) …

In the survey, I asked the following:

“Say you ran into the Pope on the street … what is the one thing you would love to know from him, respectfully?”

Here are the results. They are unedited and in no particular order except that I broadly categorized between Church/Theology and Personal. Interestingly these responses reflect many of the thoughts and feelings that many have expressed via the media, websites, blogs, twitter, etc. since the Pope has been here. Anything you’d like to add in response to this survey question?

Church/Theology

• Why the Catholic church has so many rules. Why he has not taken stronger action against the priests who allowed known sexual abusers to go from one parish to another
• do you really think that someday, everyone will be catholic?
• why can’t the church approve women priests and married clergy? and don’t tell me it’s because Jesus said so!
• The restriction on women in the clergy gives Catholicism the appearance of backward-thinking or traditionalism at the expense of flexibility. Aside from expanding the role of nuns, what steps would be feasible at this time or in the near future for introducing a greater female presence in ordained ministry?
• What happens to unborn babies, do they really not go to real heaven? Do they really just go to a happy place?
• I heard today that the Pope blamed a larger culture of secularism for part of the pedophile scandal in the Church. As an agnostic I was outraged by that comment, so I would love to know why on earth he would blame the criminal behaviour of certain priests on secularism, when that is certainly not the case.
• What is the church going to do about dwindling numbers? Does the church care?
• What are your deepest wishes for the Church?
• How is living in the vatican? Why does the vatican have so many secrets; what does it have to hide from us?
• Help me to fully understand why some orders of priests cannot be married. How does the practice of married priests in any way go against Tradition of the early Chruch or the practice of the Bible?
• If he could do over one thing from his time at the CDF, what would he do over and why?
• In view of the shortage of priests to serve in the parishes, is there any research/thought/prospect of solving that problem through married priests?
• Does he really believe himself to be infallibale?
• Whether he will continue the tradition of not ordaining women to priesthood and whether he will continue to open pre-Vatican II traditions to the faithful who wish to see a return of these rituals.
• Why does he treat women as second-class Catholics, when St. Paul said that there is neither male nor female in the kingdom of God but all are equal in Christ? (The inequality of women is why I left Roman Catholicism and am now Quaker.
• How he can defend the treatment of women by the Church?
• What would you see as the greatest hope and possibility for relegating world hunger to history books?
• How can we bring the worlds major religions closer together and work together for common causes, esp. peace and social/economic justice?
• After apologizing for running into him, I would ask him to recommend a good anthology (including his own writings) on the “Anonymous Christian Doctrine.”
• 1) Why doesn’t the catholic church support ordination for women? Do you beleive that Jesus’s teachings support this notion? Do you think blindly following tradition is a good thing? 2) Why have we not been actively addressing the horrendous (billions of dollars in sex abuse settlements) problem in our church systems. Do you truly believe that over 3 billion dollars in hush money equals an “individual traitor” problem or a systematic problem? 3) Did you always aspire to be the Pope? 4) Do you think there is a fundamental diconnect between church leadership and lay members? Is there a plan to address this issue?
• I would love to ask him, respectfully, when and how he got hooked on Prada shoes.
• Why does the Catholic Church excommunicate people? Doesn’t God grant forgiveness if you’re truly repentant?
• I would like him to explain, in a way I can understand, why the Catholic Church is held superior to other churches. My mother (who is Baptist) certainly doesn’t agree!
• What is your fondest wish for the future of the Church?

Personal

• Does it make you uncomfortable to have people kiss your ring?
• How do you do it?
• I think I’d be too awed to respond.
• I would ask the Pope if I could have a ride in the Popemobile.
• What are the challenges to being a Pope?
• what do you do for fun?
• I would like to know how he stays focused and hopeful when the stress of the call seesm overwhelming?
• What is your favorite musical piece (he loves piano!)
• How does he pray?
• If he would say a prayer for me.
• How he prevent himself from succumbing to the comfort of riches and luxuries.
• Does he feel that he’s overshodowed by the memeory of JPII?
• With all the poverty in today’s world, how can he wear such fancy shoes and allow such fanfare and money to go into his visit?
• What does your private prayer life look like? What non-religious book are you reading now?
• How do you like being the German Shepherd?
• Holy Father, how do you, personally, pray?
• Why is he going backward, at least in his style of dress? The huge pallium, the fur cap he wore on St. Nicholas Day, the huge mitres and jewel encrusted vestments all look like they came out of the Middle Ages. Wasn’t it Paul IV that said the money from all these rich trappings would be better spent on the poor? And while I’m talking about fashion, what’s with wearing the red shoes with the white robes? Last question. I heard that the Pope asked for chocolate fudge cake for his birthday. What kind of ice cream did he want served with that? ;p
• Why didn’t you bring your cat to the Vatican?
• What is his favorite hobby, and why?
• I would ask about his prayer life, I think.
• I would thank him for thinking about the environment.
• When you get to heaven, what is the first thing you will say to God?
• I would love to know how often he has doubted his faith.
• How do you play soccer in that uniform?

Here are some initial results from my unscientific survey about The Pope’s Visit. Next post I’ll get into some of the more reflective responses about what folks hope for from this visit.

1. Are you following the Pope’s visit to the US? (59 responses)

• Yes …………………… 86.4%
• No ……………………..13.6%

2. Where do you go for Pope news coverage? (58 responses)

• television …………. 55.2%
• media websites …. 43.1%
• blogs …………………. 31%
• newspapers ………… 31%
• radio ……………….. 22.4%
• other …………………. 8.6%

3. Any specific source (from Q.2) that you’d recommend? (35 responses)

Television

• EWTN (11 recommendations)
• Fox News
• Morning news shows
• CNN b/c Jim Martin is the commentator

Websites

• http://uspapalvisit.com/
• http://phatmass.com
• http://www.nytimes.com/
• http://www.zenit.org/
• http://www.Beliefnet.com
• http://news.google.com

Blogs

• Whispers in the Loggia (2 recommendations)
• What The Prayer Really Says
• Overheard in the Sacristy
• Benedict in America

Radio

• NPR (4)
• EWTN (2)

Other

• my mom
• catch it on the fly – no time for anything else