The grand tour

Religion: The pope in his U.S. visit was specific in criticizing the church, general in his critique of culture and politics | Richard N. Ostling

NEW YORK—Papal grand tours are becoming almost ordinary. But no Protestant or other religious leader could possibly enjoy the level of attention bestowed upon Benedict XVI in mid-April during his first U.S. pilgrimage as pope. President Bush attended the airport arrival—an honor he has granted no previous dignitary—and hosted a White House ceremony on what was Benedict's 81st birthday. Vice President Dick Cheney was present for the airport farewell. The secular United Nations General Assembly listened to him respectfully, and mainstream media provided lavish coverage. Throughout, crowds were large and exuberant.

Benedict, a onetime university theologian, employed this extraordinary exposure to convey ideas of substance to the world, the American nation, and non-Catholics. However, his crucial messages were aimed at the huge but troubled U.S. Catholic flock, 23.9 percent of the population according to a Pew Forum poll (second to evangelical Protestants at 26.3 percent).