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Yes, the Pope has died. When making your jokes, please keep in mind that many people consider him to be part of their extended family.
But I'm not here to talk about the Pope. I'm here to talk about the person talking about the Pope. And that's Mr. Allen.
If you were paying attention to the coverage of the Vatican during the American Church's child-abuse scandal, you saw John Allen. He was on just about every news network I tuned into explaining what the Vatican actually meant when they said whatever cryptic things they said.
John Allen was a teacher at my high school while I was there. He left to work as a reporter for the National Catholic Reporter. Soon, he was on the Vatican beat, whence he wrote his column "The Word from Rome." He's been there for the last five years reporting on worldwide Catholic stories and generally enlightening American Catholics on how Vatican or worldwide issues affect the Church here.
As an American who stays in Rome and focuses solely on the intricacies of the Vatican's theological politics, he's an indispensable resource for American news outlets who have no idea what's going on. And it's tough to know what's going on. The Vatican is double-dipped in tradition, and it's usually impossible to understand what's happening unless you understand what happened in at least the last millennium. Theology has been debated and redebated to the point where the key Vatican players can split hairs thinner than the angels dancing on the heads of pins. So it's helpful to get information who can start a column with:
So if you're an American interested in what's happening in Rome, be prepared to go to the source to find out how the next pope will be elected and who it might be.
But I'm not here to talk about the Pope. I'm here to talk about the person talking about the Pope. And that's Mr. Allen.
If you were paying attention to the coverage of the Vatican during the American Church's child-abuse scandal, you saw John Allen. He was on just about every news network I tuned into explaining what the Vatican actually meant when they said whatever cryptic things they said.
John Allen was a teacher at my high school while I was there. He left to work as a reporter for the National Catholic Reporter. Soon, he was on the Vatican beat, whence he wrote his column "The Word from Rome." He's been there for the last five years reporting on worldwide Catholic stories and generally enlightening American Catholics on how Vatican or worldwide issues affect the Church here.
As an American who stays in Rome and focuses solely on the intricacies of the Vatican's theological politics, he's an indispensable resource for American news outlets who have no idea what's going on. And it's tough to know what's going on. The Vatican is double-dipped in tradition, and it's usually impossible to understand what's happening unless you understand what happened in at least the last millennium. Theology has been debated and redebated to the point where the key Vatican players can split hairs thinner than the angels dancing on the heads of pins. So it's helpful to get information who can start a column with:
Cardinal James Francis Stafford, an American who heads the Apostolic Penitentiary, a highly confidential Vatican court dealing with matters of conscience, is known as one of the more intellectually and spiritually profound figures on the Roman scene. I sat down with him on Thursday . . . .And, to top it off, he's already written a book about the upcoming Conclave.
So if you're an American interested in what's happening in Rome, be prepared to go to the source to find out how the next pope will be elected and who it might be.