And Further Still...

My old friend Justin Martyr, who will never be recruited for the diplomatic corps, writes:

Poor Pope Benedict. He has two perfectly nice palaces in Rome, is well north of eighty, and hates crowds -- but he has to go through the motions of all these witches' Sabbaths just because il Papa Polacco loved the nightlife.

Don't sugarcoat it, pal. Still, there is no denying Holy Father has a great deal of work remaining. As I watch him spend precious moments in endless receiving lines, shaking hands with undistinguished pols and Methodist ministers, I cannot help thinking his time left on earth might better be spent at home.