Why would I have to apply? You'd think coming up with Vatican Year of the Kitty would have endeared me to B16 and ensured winning the lottery draw. Either that or my reverence for his footwear and my insightful, incisive comments about the Vatican's revelation (last year) about social media. Yes, I'm kidding. Sort of. Maybe.
I was thrilled to see that Lisa Hendey was on the list. Lisa's blog CatholicMom.com is not only the Gold Standard for these types of blogs but has also been a long-time supporter of my writing. I admire her ability to be faithful and gracious enough to embrace a wide spectrum of Catholic thinking and writing.
See if you can guess my most favorite paragraph and, for the record, I do think this is a very nicely crafted announcement.
Dear friends,
The following is the list of 150 bloggers invited to attend in person the meeting taking place in via della conciliazione, 5, on Monday 2 May.
Over 750 requests were made and a hard decision-making process had to be put in place to ensure, as much as is possible, a broad representation of the blogosphere. There are some famous bloggers and some new bloggers, some are institutional, others personal, some tell vocational stories and others comment on international news or local issues. Some are well-financed, most are run on a shoestring.
It was touching being involved in your issues, from coping with death, to the joys of parenting, the hopefulness of youth, to fear of change, not to mention the many causes and campaigns promoted, particularly in the new evangelisation. While some pre-choices were made to ensure a diversified presence, for the final selection we simply gave each blogger a number and had someone choose numbers randomly.
I hope those not on the list will not feel excluded. The bloggers present in the Room will surely keep you informed and engaged. They may even organise a livestream. It is also to be hoped that this is just the beginning of a dialogue.
The 150 will receive further indications after Easter, but should note now that we are not covering your expenses – the invitation was always intended for bloggers who would be in Rome for the Beatification.
Selection to attend does not imply Vatican approval of the contents of any of the blogs. Neither does non-selection imply disapproval.
Thanking you for your patience and understanding – this has already been a good learning experience for us.
Richard Rouse
