At Philadelphia airport, pope kisses head of disabled boy

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

MICHAEL RUBINKAM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pope Francis kissed the forehead of a boy with cerebral palsy after landing in Philadelphia on Saturday morning, coaxing a small smile from the severely disabled 10-year-old.

Francis apparently spied Michael Keating as he was being driven away from the plane. Ordering the Fiat to stop, Francis got out and walked over to the boy, put his hand on his head and kissed him as his sobbing mother looked on.

Kristin Keating thanked the pope, who grasped her hand. Francis also shook the hand of Keating's husband, Chuck Keating, the band director at Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown. The band serenaded Francis as he arrived in Philadelphia for the last leg of his six-day visit to the United States.

"It was an unbelievable feeling," Kristin Keating said of the papal encounter, adding she felt "totally blessed and loved" by the pope.

FULL story at link.


In this photo provided by World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis kisses and blesses Michael Keating, 10, of Elverson, Pa after arriving in Philadelphia and exiting his car when he saw the boy, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at Philadelphia International Airport. Keating has cerebral palsy and is the son of Chuck Keating, director of the Bishop Shanahan High School band that performed at Pope Francis' airport arrival. (Joseph Gidjunis/World Meeting of Families via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150926/us-pope-boy-at-airport-d33555858a.html

[mcar]

1. Something in my eye

[Depaysement]

2. Matthew 25:40

Whatsoever you did for the least of my brothers, you did unto me.

Walking the walk.

[skepticscott]

4. Walking the walk

when the cameras are on. While continuing to promote bigoted anti-woman, anti-LGBT policies in every country he can.

[bvf]

8. That's just what I thought.

Photo op.

People eat it up, and miss the big picture entirely.

[colorado_ufo]

12. It is easy, I know, to think that.

However, I saw the short video of how this happened, on the way from the airport. This was not planned or staged; it was just a kid and his family, among the people lining the route from the airport. Pope Francis is seen suddenly telling the car to stop, and he quickly got out. There were no security people around him, as would have been had this been arranged. He just got out the car and did it.

This was an act from the heart. Watching it, I truly felt that it was something he would have done had he been the most humble of priests in the worst ghetto on earth, not just because he is pope. The office he holds now, in fact, he probably can hardly believe is real, given his beginnings.

I'm not Catholic, and I am often pretty jaded by this world; this, however, I honestly think was a true act of compassion and love.

[bvf]

16. Y'know what would be

a true act of compassion and love?

Air-dropping a few hundred shitloads of condoms across sub-Saharan Africa.

Not telling women they're bound for an eternity of fiery, agonizing torment for having abortions.

Leaving gays and lesbians the fuck alone.

Sorry, but giving up the red shoes and going around kissing disabled kids with the cameras rolling doesn't quite cut it for anyone not in awe of some guy with a former Fox News correspondent as his personal PR man.

No way.

[treestar]

19. Seems like people who don't agree with you

on every issue can do no good whatsoever?

I can disagree on those issues but still be glad someone cares about the sick.

The boy's illness matters, too. There may be misogyny in the world. That's no reason to ignore this boy, because someone you consider misogynistic cares, they are supposed to not do so, and this boy lose that, because of another issue?

Same kind of intolerance we usually condemn the righties for, leave that to them. The current Pope has tolerance for those with whom he disagrees to an unusual extent for a Pope. More than some on the left (supposedly the live and let live, tolerant, do things your way as long as we can do things our way attitude).

[bvf]

21. Lip service is all this guy has to offer.

Unless you think that peck on that poor kid's head will change anything beyond adding to Frank's résumé, and maybe imperceptibly slowing the RCC's hemorrhage of American catholics. I wish I could believe that it would, but it just ain't so.

FWIW, I "consider" him to be misogynistic in the same sense that I "consider" fire to be hot. It's screamingly obvious.

[MattSh]

15. So climate change and economic inequality are trivial...

and not part of the big picture.

Things I learn on DU.

[bvf]

17. Both are bad.

I didn't need a witchdoctor to tell me that. I'm assuming you didn't, either.

Seems to me Frank wants an awful lot of credit for stating the painfully obvious, and boy, people are just champing at the bit to oblige.

[Marrah_G]

23. I would like to suggest why I think it is important

If the Pope can change the hearts and minds of some people on economic and environmental issues then we all benefit.

If I have a list of 5 really important issues and someone helps to move two of them forward it is still a win.

I say this as a female, Pagan, mother of a lesbian, mother-in-law of a transgender who has been very vocal about my rage against the Catholic church.

[bvf]

25. I don't expect to see much change in

hearts and minds with the pablum he's offered.

How, for Pete's sake, does anything he's said "move" anything forward?

People will nod in agreement at being told stuff they already knew, figuring his message will register with those holding the purse strings and throwing big bucks at climate-change denial studies. Who is anyone kidding here?

[treestar]

20. Apparently so

Hey as long as you are not 100% with me on my issue that affects me, the rest of it is useless. Let the climate change! It's all about me and only me, and the rest of humanity should be shunned!

[bvf]

24. For the record,

I'm a 57-year-old straight white male, so I'd be interested in knowing exactly which of the issues I raised above you think personally affects me.

That said, I harbor no delusion that the Koch Brothers, for instance, are going to change their ways one iota on the basis of what Frank says. If anything, they're more than likely having a good cackle at the idea of their puppets on Capitol Hill sweating bullets before cutting them the next round of checks.

Do you honestly believe for a second that the management and directors of the major energy companies give a sweet shit about Frank's empty pronouncements?

Yeah. Pretty words that don't say zilch beyond what everyone with a brain already knows. The Ignorati aren't about to change their own minds, much less anyone else's.

[jamzrockz]

22. What walk?

He kissed the boy in the forehead. Its not like he paid for his medications or took care of him for a day to give his parents relief. The boy is disabled, not dying from leprosy. There is absolutely no effort needed to do what he did.

[demosincebirth]

7. Ditto on that.

[roguevalley]

3. If you want to know what Christians are supposed to do, remember thuis picture.

WWJD? That.

[jwirr]

5. That young man reminds me very much of my daughter.

Wonderful picture.

[cindyperry2010]

6. that is what religion is

supposed to be goodness and decency to those less fortunate . that's why I love this guy

[AlbertCat]

9. that is what religion is

Kissing strangers?

Religion IS where theatre began, y'know....

[colorado_ufo]

13. There is a well-known story in the New Testament of the Bible that illustrates your view.

A woman who had greatly sinned (incorrectly identified by many as Mary Magdalene) sought out Jesus. She poured a very expensive container of precious perfumed ointment on his feet, then washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, begging forgiveness.

One of the disciples (who IS identified in the story) began to criticize her, saying that this was such a waste, that the perfume could have been sold for a large sum and the money distributed to the poor.

Jesus, however, took a different view. He described what a beautiful act the woman had done, and her sincere contrition. He said her anointing had been done not wastefully, but towards the day of His death. (So to speak, she had done this to commemorate the sacrifice that He had not yet made, in the way the deceased were anointed in those days at the time of their death, a simple method of embalming with perfume and spices.)

He blessed her and told her to go in peace.

The point here? There are two: First, no matter what you do in this world, some fault will always be found; and second, I am sure that Jesus would understand your skepticism and bless you, as well.

[cindyperry2010]

18. then perhaps i should have chosen better words

that is what we as human beings should exemplify goodness and decency caring about our less fortunate people and lifting them up to us. kindness always to other creatures and helping those around us

[AlbertCat]

26. What.... do you think I'm 10 years old?

I don't need your sophomoric fables and preaching, thank you very much.

Like I said.... theatre.... even BAD theatre....began with religion.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. As a note - Michael is a twin

and his twin brother Chris was there (along with their sister) when the Pope came over.

[Kingofalldems]

11. Reading some of the responses--Haters gonna hate.

[AlbertCat]

27. Haters gonna hate.

I don't see any hate.

I see sentimentality and mush, and like I said theatre, but not any hate.

[Kingofalldems]

28. Well I do, so there you go.

[AlbertCat]

29. Perhaps

you should reflect on "disagreements" and stop assuming it has anything to do with hate. Calling people "haters" because you disagree with them is pretentious.

[Kingofalldems]

30. Dude-put me on ignore or something.

I don't want to read nonsense. My opinion, don't like it--- tough shit, it's mine..

[Uncle Joe]

14. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.