As I watch the hundreds of thousands of people paying homage to Pope John Paul II this week I am well aware of his greatness as a human being and as a world leader. However, my thoughts and prayers are centered specifically with the hundreds of millions of Catholics for whom he has provided such excellent leadership.

I’m not Catholic. Nevertheless, my appreciation and respect for Catholicism and its people has grown throughout my life. Growing up in the fifties I never heard much kindness expressed toward Catholics, but even the Protestant denominations argued amongst each other about religious doctrine. Gossip aside, I did what most people do and formed my opinions based upon the Catholic people I’ve met and known. After all, Christ said, “By their fruits ye shall know them”.

The two qualities that best describe my Catholic friends are “traditionally-dedicated” and “non-judgmental”.

The traditional dedication of Catholic people truly amazes me. On Sunday morning they go to mass in great numbers. While their liturgy is a lot more formal and automated than I’m used to, it works for them. And why shouldn’t it. The magnificence of the Catholic empire is truly amazing. With seventeen percent of the world’s people under its umbrella, in virtually every country in the world, the Catholicism is the undisputed “king” of Christian religions.

I will never forget a midnight Christmas mass I attended in Mangalore, India. Dressed in both western attire and gorgeous traditional saris, Mangalorian Catholics flooded the church to celebrate the birth of Christ. It was a night I’ll never forget. In my son’s neighborhood in south Minneapolis a Catholic church conducts mass in Spanish for the neighborhood’s growing Hispanic population. After the conclusion of the mass I am particularly impressed by the Hispanic sense of family. Mothers, Fathers and children spill onto the street, beautifully dressed in their best clothes. My hometown boasts stately St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church, built in 1894 by hard working Polish immigrants. Making only fifty-cents a day they sacrificed to build a church of European quality.

Whether they are Indians from Mangalore, Hispanics from Minneapolis, or Poles from Warsaw, the Catholic fabric represents a beautiful collage of humanity. The essence of traditional Catholicism is people from different races, countries, and languages, all in unified dedication to the Lord God and his son, Jesus. Some are rich, most are poor, many of them bear the yoke of personal tribulations and political persecution, but Catholics are for real.

I especially appreciate the non-judgmental side of Catholics. None of my Catholic friends have ever criticized another religion in my presence. Maybe it’s because the Catholics are #1 in the Christian world and have nothing to prove. Probably it’s because they are secure and satisfied with their religious beliefs and find little time to cause trouble for others.

When my daughter entered sixth grade my wife and I decided to enroll her in a Catholic school. Being of another faith, my wife was reluctant initially because she didn’t want our daughter to be indoctrinated into Catholicism. Both of us were primarily concerned about my daughter’s lack of academic progress in the government (public) school, so we enrolled her in the Catholic system.

Her first year was tough because she had to catch up academically. She made the adjustment successfully and graduated from the Catholic high school. My wife and I were active in the band boosters, serving as co-presidents for three years. We were always welcome and never felt that we were on the “outside looking in”. My wife’s initial fears were unfounded. Our daughter was blessed with a faith-based educational experience. She remains a non-Catholic today but has been enriched by both the academic and religious teachings she learned in their schools.

Today, my Catholic friends, as you mourn the loss of your Pope, I pray for you. Thanks for touching my life in so many positive ways over the years. May you continue your historic and marvelous journey as a great and loving people.

One of the challenges of writing a weekly column is to continually come up with fresh ideas.  As soon as I’ve submitted my regular Sunday blog it’s time to start looking for a topic for the next week.  It never takes long.  This week the inspiration came Monday morning courtesy of ABC News’ Good Morning America.

On television was Anna Ayala, complete with her lawyer Jeffrey Janoff, discussing the human finger that she found in her bowl of chili at a Wendy’s restaurant in San Jose, C.A.  Ayala claims that the 1.5-inch finger was in her mouth before she realized what it was.  Just to spruce up the breakfast coverage, a photo of the fingertip appeared several times during the story.  If you want to see for yourself go to:  http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=612142   Just don’t do it while eating!

The finger didn’t come from the hand of a restaurant employee.  All of the Wendy’s workers passed the “10 finger” test with flying colors.   Joy Alexiou, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Health Department said that the finger was well cooked, eliminating any health risk.  The digit tip apparently entered the chili at some part of the manufacturing process.  A Wendy’s spokesman reported that there were “no reports to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of injuries at any supplier of chili ingredients to Wendy’s.”

As the search for the source of the infamous “chili finger” continues, there is no question that having a human finger in your mouth would be an unsettling experience.  The fact that the finger presented no health risk would have been little consolation for this gastronomic displeasure.  Ms. Ayala purportedly vomited.  Who can blame her.

Any red-blooded American can see where this one is going.  Ayala and Janoff were on screen for about 3 minutes.  Ayala had tears in her eyes and her lips trembled as she described the experience.  If the volume had been turned down and you could just look at her face and body language you would have no doubt that she had been abducted and molested by space aliens!  No one knows how much money her opportunistic lawyer is going to sue Wendy’s for, but it isn’t going to be pretty.  Janoff is quoted as saying, “…obviously, something slipped through, to put it lightly. And this is a strict liability type of case. It is a product liability case, and a consumer doesn’t expect to find body parts in their food.”

I know that this meal was not pleasant for the woman, but if I were the judge she and Janoff would have to settle for the cost of a medical check-up and $500 for “pain and suffering”.  Wendy’s probably suffered more than the Ayala.  Despite the fact that Wendy’s probably had no direct involvement in this finger caper, Wendy’s sales in northern California slipped sharply after the incident, although the sales decline is expected to be temporary.

Come to think of it, if Ayala would fire her lawyer and negotiate directly with Wendy’s she could probably get a lifetime food card good at any Wendy’s worldwide.  In addition, she’s got bragging rights for life.  Who wouldn’t want to tell the one about how “I found a finger in my chili at Wendy’s!”  On second thought, maybe Wendy’s shouldn’t offer Ayala a free food card.  She might over indulge and gain weight.  Then, Janoff to the rescue, we’d have another lawsuit!