God Help Us
There’s an old saying, that you never really find god until you need him. Which just might be why when 300 million Americans send in their tax returns today, there will be an overwhelming sense of ironic comfort among the 64 million Catholics that Pope Benedict XVI has arrived to the United States for his first papal visit since he was anointed head of the Roman Catholic Church three years ago.
While the Pope is expected to address the sexual abuse scandals that have marred Catholicism, left five diocese bankrupt, and has cost the church nearly 2 billion dollars; one wonders if that even matters anymore.
After all that was three years ago, when our country was in an economic boom. The stock market was surging and our houses were being used like ATM machines. Back then, it was easy to be critical of the church for a few sexual transgessions because after all, who really needs god when you’re rich?
But now in the face of mounting job losses, foreclosures, bank failures, and the prospect of a prolonged recession, god is greatly needed.
Which only makes me wonder, when the Pope decided over a year ago to visit the United States on April 15th was it a conversation with god that prompted the trip? Or was it simply that the Church, one of the largest financial institutions in the world is just more adept at forecasting economic downturns then our own economists?
