Freising on Broome Street

dotCommonweal brought my attention to the fact that on January 16th honorary citizenship of the City of Freising was conferred upon Pope Benedict. The blog excerpted his brief talk. Everything he said of the Cathedral is also true, in my estimation, of Our Lady of Vilnius. Below I present the Pope's speech in grayscale sentence by sentence followed by my minimal paraphrase, in black italic. Here goes:

"Today Munich airport is located at the gates of Freising." Today Our Lady of Vilnius is located at the mouth of the Holland Tunnel. "Those who land or take off from there see the towers of Freising Cathedral, they see the mons doctus, and can perhaps understand a little of its past history and of its present." Those who are idling in traffic, awaiting passage to New Jersey, see the squat, begrimed little church, they see the humble surroundings and fading signs and can perhaps understand a little of its past history and of its present. "Freising has always had a sweeping view of the chain of the Alps." Our Lady of Vilnius has always been overshadowed by its taller neighbors. "By means of the airport it has become, in a certain sense, also global and open to the world." By means of the tunnel it has become, in a certain sense, also global and open to the world. "And yet I want to say: the Cathedral with its towers points upwards to heights that are loftier by far and very different from those we reach in airplanes; the true heights, the heights of God from whom comes the love that gives us authentic humanity." And yet I want to say: the church with its small striving towers points upwards to destinations that are loftier by far and very different from those we reach in any vehicle; the true heights, the heights of God from whom comes the love that gives us authentic humanity. "Yet the Cathedral does not only indicate the loftiness of God who forms us and shows us the way, but also indicates an expanse, and this is not only because the Cathedral embraces centuries of faith and prayer, because it contains, so to speak, the whole community of saints, of all those who went before us who believed, prayed, suffered and rejoiced." Yet the tiny church does not only indicate the loftiness of God who forms us and shows us the way, but also indicates an expanse, and this is not only because the church embraces a century of faith and prayer, because it contains, so to speak, the whole community of saints, of all those who went before us who believed, prayed, suffered and rejoiced. "It indicates, in general, the great host of all believers of all time." "Thus it also shows a vastness which goes beyond globalization, because, in diversity, even in the different cultures and origins, it gives the strength of inner unity, in other words it gives that which can unite us: the unifying power of being loved by God." Thus, though small, humble and locally beloved, it also shows a vastness which goes beyond globalization, because, in diversity, even in the different cultures and origins, it gives the strength of inner unity, in other words it gives that which can unite us: the unifying power of being loved by God. "Thus for me Freising also continues to point out a path." Thus for me, for countless travelers and for the Lithuanian diaspora, Our Lady of Vilnius also continues to point out a path: a path that I hope our church will continue to illuminate with the Holy Spirit for years to come.