When the media like what the Pope says

They’ll give him positive coverage, though still missing some obvious points. In this case, he’s telling youth to save the planet.

Pope Benedict, leading the Catholic Church’s first “eco-friendly” youth rally, on Sunday told up to half a million people that world leaders must make courageous decisions to save the planet “before it is too late.”

It would be interesting to see them focus a bit on the fact that Benedict drew half a million young people to a weekend rally, excited to be with the Holy Father and hear what he had to say.

Intentionally wearing green vestments, he spoke to a vast crowd of mostly young people sprawled over a massive hillside near the Adriatic city of Loreto on the day Italy’s Catholic Church marks it annual Save Creation Day.

Actually, green vestments are worn by all clergy daily during “Ordinary Time” in the liturgical calendar. We are presently in Ordinary Time.

While they’re busy playing up the “eco-friendly” papal event – which is terrific - they miss the profound significance of what was drawing the youth and young adults.

More than 300,000 of them had slept on blankets and in tents or prayed during the night. Organizers said they were joined by some 200,000 more people who arrived from throughout Italy on Sunday morning.

They camped out, they kept coming, because the Church matters, and the Pope’s message is always relevant.

Photo by Giorgio Benvenuti/EPA