Pope-Watching: Best Posts from Francis' Visit to the U.S. & Cuba

The secular and Catholic media have been filled with reports on Pope Francis' first visit to the U.S. this past week. Here's a round-up of the best papal news.

Background

Is the Pope Catholic?: This Newsweek article deserves a prize for the name alone. In-depth look into the Pope's words and the media's spin on them.

Pope Francis arrives in the US; denies being a leftist: This article by John L. Allen Jr., a reporter respected by Catholics of all stripes, gives the Pope's response to allegations that's he's more leftist than Catholic.

Visit to Cuba

Pope Francis Goes Off-Script to Deliver Passionate Homily on Poverty: In typical Francis style, the pope speaks extemporaneously about a topic dear to his heart.

Francis Hit with Tranquilizer Dart by Swiss Guard Seconds After Speaking Off-Cuff: This hilarious satire piece by the Eye of the Tiber, the Catholic equivalent of The Onion, expresses the frustration of some Catholics -- especially Catholic bloggers and journalists -- with Pope Francis' unpredictable statements.

Visit to Washington, D.C.

Hero or Horror? Junipero Serra becomes a saint: Interesting article by CNN about the surprisingly controversial decision to canonize the founder of several Spanish missions in California during Pope Francis' visit to Washington, D.C. yesterday. Pope Francis views Fr. Serra as one of the founding fathers of the United States and a special patron of the Hispanic people of the country.

Love for Pope Brings Them to the Streets, Not Necessarily to Church: Interviews of people crowded around the Pope's parade route through D.C. show that many welcome him as a celebrity, but not as the Vicar of Christ.

White House Welcoming Ceremony for Pope Francis: Watch the whole one-hour ceremony on C-SPAN here. Or fast forward to the Pope's talk, which lasts about ten minutes.

Pope Francis Challenges Congress: This morning, Pope Francis became the first pope ever to address a joint meeting of Congress. He spoke on issues relating to immigration, capitalism, the environment, religious liberty, and the traditional family.

Upcoming Visit to New York

Papal Itinerary: This post lists all the Pope's upcoming activities in the United States, including a speech to the United Nations, an ecumenical prayer service at Ground Zero, a visit to Harlem, and Friday evening's Mass at Madison Square Garden (yours truly will be reporting on the Mass for news site Aleteia.org!).

Live Stream: For those who are not in the crowds surrounding Pope Francis, but would really like to be, live streaming coverage is available at this web site. You'll feel like you're actually there.