Eric Banecker
Philadelphia is a city with an inferiority complex. I know. I’ve lived here my entire life.
This usually expresses itself in benign ways. “Even when the Phillies were good (cf. 2007-2011), they never received the respect they deserved,” says a Philadelphia sports radio caller. “They should have kept the nation’s capital here and not moved it to New York and then Washington, D.C.,” says the more civic-minded.
And for the sake of your own health, leave the room immediately if someone from Boston mentions to a Philadelphian that Benjamin Franklin was actually born in that fair city in Massachusetts.
So, yeah, like I said. An inferiority complex.
That is why everyone’s most beloved fake Philadelphian is Rocky Balboa, a tough, hard-scrabble Italian kid from the streets who had to make up for a lack of natural ability by fighting for everything he had. There’s nothing wrong with that, by the way. In fact, there is something ennobling when one must make up for weakness with grit.
Yet for all this, I am somewhat disappointed in my home city.
[hotblock]
Everywhere I go, people ask me about Pope Francis’ visit. Many are excited. They want to know if and how I am going to be involved in the World Meeting of Families and the Papal events. Yet apparently these people are putting on a brave face for me because, according to the news, everyone is miserable and jaded about the whole experience. Most people interviewed either seem to be (1) angry about losing money, (2) annoyed about driving restrictions, or (3) happy to inform anyone that will ask that they are getting out of town for the weekend.
Yes, I know: it’s going to be inconvenient. But think about this for a second: Pope Francis is celebrating Mass at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York the morning before he gets to Philadelphia. MSG, for those who aren’t up on their Big Apple geography, is located directly above Penn Station, the busiest train station in the United States.
Inconvenient? Perhaps just a bit.
But New York is used to this. They’ve been down this road many times. They know how to be the Capital of the World.
So far, Philadelphia has revealed itself to be the capital of whining.
Nevertheless, I am convinced that in the end, we will show our true colors. Everyone will be perfectly safe. All those who need to give birth will do so safely. Most of all, hundreds of thousands of people will brave the inconveniences to be able to tell their grandchildren that they saw Pope Francis in the shadow of the Rocky steps.
I can’t wait for my home city to breathe a sigh of relief and yell a collective “Yo, Adrian, we did it.”
Because, as we all know, we live in a city known for its hospitality. I just hope Pope Francis isn’t a Mets fan.
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Eric Banecker is in his fourth year as a seminarian studying for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. A native of Philadelphia, Eric attended Roman Catholic High School and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a B.A. in English and Classical Studies in May 2011.
The Local Knights of Columbus went to planning meetings Last August or September with WMF. This week we are finally contacted by email? SEPTA allotment Tickets to the event were sold Last month. Hello.. Now we are told only men with dark Blue suits and No Beards can apply no Knights disabled in any manner! Sounds Like a PR Event not a Catholic event we unfortunately come in all ages shapes and sizes.
Between Philly WMF and Secret service they have scared any Suburbanite Catholics the parishes in suburbs encouraged parishioners to celebrate as a Parish. Meanwhile WMF and Catholic standard Promote people walking from Baltimore. Archbishop Chaput needs to focus on Communicating to our diocese and 200 k Septa Tickets lays on his lack of CLEAR Communication to his diocese. That is an embarrassment.
The seminarian that scolded us in this article for complaining better get a grip on reality! Feedback is the only method to know if you are succeeding or failing without it YOU are directionless as a supposed leader of anything!
Listen to all sides it is a good characteristic for success.
One more thing-I think people are justified to whine about losing money if they need that money to pay rent and feed their family. I hope those who earn low wages and don’t receive benefits aren’t badly affected if their workplace is closed due to the Papal visit. Pope Francis cares deeply about the working poor and he would not want this to happen.
To be fair, Manhattan is not being shut down the way Philly is. Everyone I know was very excited about the Papal visit including non-Catholics, when it was first announced. However, the WMOF news conferences seemed to take the joy out of it with all the announcements of restrictions and closures. Finally, if I was a Center City resident due to give birth on the weekend of Pope Francis’ I would be quite nervous about it, and understandably so.