Thursday, May 18, 2006

Rigali Decoded

As he prepares to ordain three new priests on the traditional date of the Third Saturday of May, Cardinal Justin Rigali took on The DaVinci Code yesterday with a press conference and presentation by Fr Gregory Fairbanks, church history professor at Philadelphia's St Charles Borromeo Seminary. Texts and video here.

(Notably, Rigali gave his imprimatur to the one book on the Code to receive the formal ecclesiastical approbation.)

While the archbishop of Philadelphia began the meeting with a canned statement, he lit up at its end, relating -- what else -- an Italian legend on the painting of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper." It was a rare moment of Rigali appearing relaxed and happy before a gaggle of cameras, so it's worth savoring.

Not to mention that it proves the other old legend: You can take the Roman out of Rome....

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