Last week, Bush was pandering to Catholics by pretending to have some kind of close relationship to the Pontiff, as Jay Carney(!) pointed out, referring to CNN teevee coverage:
Aan unnamed White House official explaining why no one could be sure how long the closed-door session between Bush and Benedict would last: "When you're meeting with the Holy Father, a schedule is just a suggestion."
At that point I wanted to gag.
Please. This is silly. According to this morning's USA Today, President Bush has met this pope exactly once -- last June at the Vatican. According to the transcript of yesterday's White House press briefing with Dana Perino, it's quite possible that they've never once spoken on the phone. So from what shared experience springs all that love and affection? How exactly was their special bond developed? And why is it that the leader of the Catholic Church has more sway over the President's schedule than any other head of state?
...
(H)yping the relationship between the President and the Pope is pure political exploitation, a play for the electoral affection of American Catholics.
This led me to fire up teh Google, wondering how the Pope feels about torture.
Turns out he does have a position:
When conditions within jails and prisons are not conducive to the process of regaining a sense of a worth and accepting its related duties, these institutions fail to achieve one of their essential ends. Public authorities must be ever vigilant in this task, eschewing any means of punishment or correction that either undermine or debase the human dignity of prisoners. In this regard, I reiterate that the prohibition against torture "cannot be contravened under any circumstances."
That's pretty unequivocal.
Do you suppose he discussed this with Bush during their mutual political promotion meeting last week? He's at Ground Zero today. Do you think he will reiterate this position in one of the most effective settings for making it clear that there are no circumstances that justify torture?
He's saying Mass today, at Yankee Stadium, to 55,000 people. Can you imagine the effect it would have for him to restate this principle, just seven months after making this declaration? Even if, out of diplomatic respect, he did not name names, can you imagine the impact this would have?
They say the President has a bully pulpit. He gets booed at Yankee Stadium. The Pope has the ultimate pulpit, and could, today, denounce, loudly and clearly to all the world, that there is no room for torture.
And you know what?
Not gonna happen.
I wonder what John Paul II would have said and done had the US engaged in torture on his watch. I hope Benedict reflects on that question, while he prepares today's homily.