The Gift of Tears

You know, there's something in me that likes to see bishops cry -- it makes them seem more human. And, as if we didn't need them before, crying bishops are like oil right now -- demand has never been higher.

At the outset of WYD, Meisner said in an interview that he almost lost it a few times. "I had to pull myself together as a bishop," he concluded.

He should've just went with it.

In that spirit, I couldn't resist being touched by this photo of the newly-ordained auxiliary of Miami, John Noonan, at his ordination yesterday afternoon. There's some great coverage out there from the Herald again and a slide show of photos on the archdiocesan site (from whence the shot on the right comes).

Not many people remember this, but so lacking in emotion were the scandal-scarred American bishops that the Dallas meeting in 2002 concluded with a Friday evening celebration of a "Mass for the Gift of Tears." None were shed that night because, well, God really wasn't on speaking terms with the USCCB at the time.

Only now, it seems their prayers are being answered. And it's definitely been worth the wait.

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