I am indebted to that delightful curmudgeon, Diogenes , who posts the Off the Record column on Catholic World News for pointing me to this beautiful essay by Amy Wellborn . She begins by recounting the story that appeared recently on the habit of the Holy Father of speaking extemporaneously to the faithful gathered for his General Audiences . She then ties this in beautifully with his coming trip to the United States: Here is what is important to me about this. It is not the Pope’s intelligence, or even the still-lively and absorbing mind of a man in his 80’s. It is that what Benedict is moved to break from the text and emphasize is the reality of Jesus Christ for you and me, today, in this moment. Over the next two months, before the Pope arrives in our country, there is going to be a constant battle, it seems to me, to communicate clearly and authentically what this man is all about. There are a great number of commentors - even Catholic commentors - who are taking the stage wi...