The Pope’s visit to the United States has brought different reactions from the joyful to the absurd. Catholics across the country are joyful as Pope Benedict XVI visits our nation. Close to 50,000 Catholics alone attended the mass at Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC. The Pope has given words of comfort to the faithful and even exhortations to the Bishops. He calls us to be a unity people of faith proclaiming and following Christ.

Others in our nation have rejected the Pope’s visit, yet, as people of faith especially in this country, we have come to expect such detractors over the years. Catholics have suffered anti-Catholicism in the United States since its founding. The Puritans, who founded Massachusetts and Harvard University were notoriously anti-Catholic.

Yet, the overwhelming majority of the people in the United States now have welcomed the Pope with joy and pride as he comes for his first visit as Pope to our shores. This is the third visit, since being named Pope, to the Americas having previously visited Brazil, Mexico and the United States.

We as Catholics are all happy he is here and listen eagerly to his words.