The menu: morel-encrusted diver scallops, spatzle, angel hair asparagus bisque, veal, white truffle-potato dumplings, carrots and mushrooms, lettuces and candied pumpkin seeds, squash carpaccio, pumpkin oil vinaigrette, raspberry crisp and mint coulis.

A pretty expensive dinner for 250 guests in honor of the Pope, who will not be attending.

Now we know what the checks we sent out on Tuesday will be paying for.

I have a problem.

I don't carry water for the pope.

Yet I greatly admire the work of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who served the poorest of the poor.

So here's my sincere question to Roman Catholics: How was Mother Teresa able to reconcile the Vatican's vast...and I mean VAST wealth, in light of so many starving and otherwise needy people? I have to think Jesus would say 'Give money to the poor.' When I see such opulence, it doesn't seem to match up with Christian ideals.

It's reminiscent of Johann Tetzel, a Catholic who sold "indulgences" [basically buying one's way into Heaven] and known for speaking the couplet "As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the rescued soul from purgatory springs."

The mere thought of such an unscriptural doctrine makes me want to vomit. I realize other churches have their issues, but often they make a serious attempt to reform what can only be seen as unbiblical. Yet, the Roman Catholic church continues to teach their doctrine of "indulgences."

Herb

The church needs all that money to pay off all the complainants in all the lawsuits for ordaining priests of the child sex abusive flavor and worse, trying to cover it up.

"The church needs all that money to pay off all the complainants in all the lawsuits for ordaining priests of the child sex abusive flavor and worse, trying to cover it up."

Dennis Miller said the other night that when he went to confession for the first time in many years, when the priest asked him so confess his sins, Dennis replied "you first Father",

I think the pope is overrated. Just another man in a fancy outfit.

Hah Andy, is that money going to the Church though?

I have a lot of respect for the Pope, who refuses to eat in public. It almost seems like a slight towards the Bush administration, which is OK by me.