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Peter Osgood, right, won a competition with his essay outlining why faith is necessary to his education. – Chase McAlpine/For The Examiner
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Among the dignitaries set to meet Pope Benedict XVI today is Catholic University student Peter Osgood.
Osgood is slated to present his award-winning essay to the pope before the pontiff’s speech at the Northeast D.C. university.
“It’s so weird to think that the Vatican knew about this essay. Does the pope know who I am? Is he expecting me?” asked Osgood.
Osgood participated in the essay contest open to all students at Catholic University.
His composition, untitled and about 450 words, outlines the necessity for faith to be a major part of his education — a topic the pontiff will address in his highly anticipated speech at the school today.
Meeting the pope is an honor with its own set of traditions.
Catholics must kiss the pope’s ring while bowing or dropping to one knee. They can address him only as “Your Holiness” or “Most Holy Father.”
Osgood said he plans to do what everyone else is doing.
“If the guy in front of me is genuflecting, that’s probably what I will do.”
He will greet the pontiff in the Pryzbla Center, where Pope Benedict will deliver his hourlong speech to Catholic educators. Osgood does not know if he will get to speak to the pope, but he has a plan if given the opportunity. “I’ve heard that surgeons get their hands blessed, so if I get the chance to ask him, I will certainly see if I can get my hands blessed,” said Osgood, who plans to attend medical school after his graduation in May.
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Examiner Reader said:
Council Woman Valerie Erwin voted for 8% increase for educators in Montgomery County MD- She also supports illegals free school lunch after school programs and free tutoring. Maybe she needs to move to Wheaton and get a job at CVS so she can be with her friends that she so supports with our hard earned tax dollar. Who voted her in?
1 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
so now does this make G.Bush a catholic??? M.M.M
2 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
has the pope and the US come to some agreement with their 'peace talks'?
2 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
How about all our elected officials, especially during elections that go to all these non catholic churches and talk politics. - these churches should lose there tax exempt permits. How about all the so called local non catholic churches that preach in there churches politics, they should lose there tax emempt permits. The Catholic Assoc Charities have helped more people in Baltimore than all the other churches combined. MAybe these preachers should get rid of there 600 dollar suits, jewelery, and big homes when they do nothing. God Bless the Holy Father
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avid reader said:
At least he is saying in blunt terms to those child horney pedifiles that you are wrong and so are the bishops who have been hiding you. Other than that he is just a figure head.
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Examiner Reader said:
Wish for the Pope to reverse the handshakes during Mass. It would be more appropriate a sincere bow to say the "Peace be with you" to acknowledge one-another. The handshakes interfere with worshiping God, before or after communion. When Jesus appeared to the Apostles he did not shake hands to say "Peace be with you." (handshakes are like absorbing sins and bacteria).
2 agree | 1 disagree
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Gaza George said:
Good 'ol Ratzy is in town. The little brownshirted boy who served the SS during his formative years. Father forgive him for he knows what he is ding.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Just follow the money, the Catholic church is functioning as another Elitist Special Interest Group just like the Chamber of Commerce and ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS!!!
4 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Less than 10% of the world population is Hispanic, but Hispanics comprise 30% of those granted Green Cards every year. Therefore, our immigration policy is biased IN FAVOR of Hispanics, and they have nothing to complain about. My source for the stats is the Yearbook of Immmigration Statistics downloaded from U.S. Gov Office of Imigration Statistics website.
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Cheyenne Z said:
“Our voice is not strong enough,” Juarez said. “We believe [the pope] has a strong voice to call attention to the federal government to recognize our human contributions and dignity. We are suffering.” People with dignity immigrate legally to the USA. Foreign nationals who disrespect our borders, and violate our nations federal laws, by illegal entry, have no dignity and deserve no respect, no special consideration. NO, Juarez, you are not "suffering" our poorest US citizens are suffering because they have lost their jobs to millions of illegal aliens who have no respect for our laws, who have no legal right to be here. Present in violation of law is a deportable offense. Where do these people get off thinking they are better than everyone else, that they do not have to obey any of our laws? In America we have separation of church and state. If the catholic church wants to get into politics, let their tax exempt status be revoked.
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Examiner Reader said:
movem all to Vatican City
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Examiner Reader said:
BuzzM---Social Security says that the employer with the most "no-matches" is headquartered in Illinois. That's all they'll say. Many believe this employer to be McDonalds.
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Examiner Reader said:
The Pope should be encouraged to put pressure on the Mexican government to take care of its own citizens. Mexico is not a poor nation, but the wealth is held by comparatively few families. We help out by taking their poor and giving them the benefits we taxpayers have provided. There is lots of oil in Mexico, as well as other precious minerals. The poor do not get the benefits of their natural resources. The illegals here also send back to Mexico Billions of the money they have made working here. There is no loyalty to this country. The newest cry of the open borders crowd is "don't break up the families by deporting illegals". Whenever a criminal goes to jail the families always suffer. Besides, the families can go to Mexico to keep them united. Catholics have always been enjoined to obey the countries where they live. Illegals want them to make exceptions for them, and them alone, as a race. And they call anyone who wants U.S. sovereignty obeyed, "racist". Hypocrisy!
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Vituperator said:
Dear Pope, Please help us break U.S. immigration laws. Thanks, Illegal Immigrants
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FedUpnCA said:
The Pope needs to speak to the leaders of the countries that the illegal aliens here are from and tell them they need to take care of their own. Charity begins at home. No American should be forced to pay for services for foreign invaders. When does the rest of the world pony up and each country take responsibility for their own population? I believe it's not that they CAN'T, it's that they WON'T. America 's economy is drained. Millions of Americans are losing their homes and jobs while employers of illegal aliens get rich. We can't bring all of the world's poor to America. Americans are fed-up with illegal immigration and have no intention of rewarding illegal aliens with social services, jobs and, ultimately, U.S. citizenship. It will be extremely important to vote this November.We must systematically VOTE OUT every politician who fails to support enforcement of immigration laws. Forget Obama, Clinton, McCain. Our only hope is Ron Paul, write him in on your ballot!
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Buzzm1 said:
May 1st, 2008 we begin the NATIONWIDE BOYCOTT of Burger King This boycott will continue until such time that Burger King, using the Department Of Homeland Security's E-Verify program, verifies that ALL of its employees are legally in our United States. During this undetermined period of time we will not purchase anything from Burger King. We will also encourage friends, family, and acquaintances, and anyone else who is against this rampant, completely unwelcome, undeterred invasion, of illegal immigrants, to boycott Burger King. The failure of our Federal Legislature, current administration, and potential presidential candidates, to listen to the rightful demands of us, the people, make this movement very necessary. Illegal immigrants are an enormous financial burden on taxpayers, costing us even more than the Wars in Iraq, and Afghanistan. They take jobs away from the very people who need them the most. They have absolutely no right to be in our United States. B
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A. Ramirez said:
The Pope is not God. He has no power to make us accept the 12 million or so illegals in this country. To bow down to pressure and give into the demands of illegals and their supporters would be a failure on our part to uphold laws that are there for a purpose as well as weaking or giving up on our sovereignty. There must be order to things, and quite frankly, illegal immigration is in such a disarray. There are laws that need to be respected, and currently there are those who would break the law of the land to allow those who havent earned the right to be here to remain.
8 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Before people hammer the pope on this issue, they should read number 2241 paragraph A and B of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The pope holds to BOTH paragraphs. Notice how para. B talks of the immigrants obligations concerning the country that receives them, obedience of that country's laws, etc.
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Examiner Reader said:
If the Pope and the Church want so much to have us take on the millions of illegal aliens that have invaded our country, then let the Vatican give up some of the priceless arts and objects to help pay for their upkeep. The Church should then lose its tax exempt status since law-abiding, taxpaying legal citizens must come up with the money and the church has stepped from religion to politics.
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Examiner Reader said:
Pancho B...you speak the truth and you are right, Americans of every race and ethnicity need to wake-up.
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Pancho B said:
The american catholic church are loosing people and needs latinoamericans because they are catholic the most. I am latino and can't beleve how much americans don't realice that their country is being invaded (I am legal) by very ethnocentric thinking that one near day are going to ruin this country. Because not all the important is the economy but the social cohesion and the peace of your children. Of course I am a "traitor" between my (?) people. Sadly many americans don't beleave this I tell you.
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Examiner Reader said:
As the American public goes about their lives, the traitors we call our representatives are planning disaster through amnesty. It will come unless, millions of more Americans become really angry about their taxes. I believe that not a single American making under one-hundred thousand dollars a year should have to pay one penny of tax. It's abominable. For years, we have heard how we can't have free medicine, because we are not a socialist country. Tell that to the illegal aliens and their enablers. We have heard that, well IF we want free medicine we will have to pay taxes on gasoline like Europe does and that would make the price of gasoline sky high. Uh, what would you call it now. We are paying unbelievably high rates for gasoline much of it gas taxes and we still do not recieve free medical care and other social benefits as do other modern Wester Nations. We are being robbed blind, and sold out by the Nancy Pelosi's, Bush's, Kennedy's Hillarys, Obama's, McCains etc. it is sic
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LadyM said:
If the Catholic church wants to start sticking it's nose into the politics of this country, they they should lose their tax exempt status. If the Pope wants to support the 20+ million illegals in this country, we should take up a collection and ship them to Rome. Maybe they should be asking for the Pope to let priests marry so we could stop all the child molestations going on. The Catholic church wants these people here for one reason only, the money they contribute on a weekly basis. That is the only reason! Because without those donations the church wouldn't be able to pay off the billions in lawsuits against priests convicted of molesting innocent children. Butt out of politics, and stick with spreading lies, you're much better at that anyway.
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Examiner Reader said:
Changing the Church's position against family planning could decrease the untenable upswing in world population which is causing so much suffering. The church did not support liberation theology in Central America, and the plan seems to be to encourage women to start young and have an unsustainable number of children, and migrate to the north. Montgomery County funds an immigrant birth center at Holy Cross Hospital, with translators, but no family planning. If wives want to get their tubes tied, the most common form of birth control among married women who are happy with their family size, they are not allowed to do so right after bierth, the proper time, at Holy Cross. This is an outrage. The Mexican government does support family planning- the birth rate there is lower than when Mexicans migrate here. As newcomers, immigrants get emotional and other support from the church, and they are not as independent minded as American Catholics. What does Mexicans without Borders want?
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Vet read to fight said:
The answer form the American people, How do we answer NAFTA the UN or any other organization the wants to tell us how to live. Other nations are not required to live according to outside influence why should we?. Our answer should be lock and load. Politics be damned.
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Pancho said:
Put your money where your mouth is! The Vatican is a city state that is a country within another country. Let the Pope grant amnesty and citizenship, for 1 to 3 million illegal aliens, to the Vatican city.
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Examiner Reader said:
Oh, yeah, that's a good one. Let's be influenced by the Pope, as if we were living in the Middle Ages. The man might be a spiritual person,etc. but that hasn't a thing to do with population control, etc. which the views of the Catholic Church are a disaster on. I should know, because I am Catholic by heredity so to speak.
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John said:
I am an ex-Catholic. I left, and would never return, when I started reading about all of the abuse and hypocrisy within this church, and this church engages in politics while questionably retaining its tax exempt status.
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Examiner Reader said:
As long as the Catholic church doesn't poke its nose into the 12 to 20 million illegal alien simmering issue, they have the respect of all in America. However, if their hierarchy start demanding equal rights for illegal poor, uneducated that our government is subsidizing in our nation. then anti-illegal patriots groups may be aggressive in a demanding in rescinding the tax exempt status for any religious entity who steps over the mark. Voters can find out the raw truth about the illegal immigration occupation, should visit NUMBERSUSA. WE NEED THE FEDERAL SAVE ACT, to stop employers from hiring cheap illegal labor. In addition, sign the PETITION at GRASSFIRE, to halt Democrats from gutting the BORDER FENCE.
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To the Pope said:
Hey Mr. Pope, the best way for your help the immigration crisis is to tell the illegals that they should go back home.
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Examiner Reader said:
To Benedict XVI the most warm welcome to the usa and best wishes. from Willowick,Ohio
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The Minutemen are coming!!!!!!!!! said:
It would be a great time for an immigration raid.
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Ind. Presidential Candidate - MiddleClass2008.com said:
Organized religion = Biggest scam on earth.
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Examiner Reader said:
Good news, for the Pope to visit Wash. D.C. and New York to restore the sanctity of the Catholic Church.
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