# I'm gonna see the pope **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 24, 2002, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522 "2002-07-24T06:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JimSox5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JimSox5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimSox5)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/1 "2002-07-24T06:21:54Z")
I leave Thursday to go to World Youth Day in Canada to see the pope. I go from Covington (at 3:30 am) to Carmel (leaving there at 6 am). From there, we stop at Niagra Falls, and then to Toronto, where the pope will give a mass and we do all kinds of stuff. I don’t know about fun stuff, but stuff. I wasn’t really excited about it until now. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/2 "2002-07-24T10:51:36Z")
I saw him at Wembley Stadium in London (where we hold football matches). It was quite surreal being at “church” in a football stadium. Bruce Springstein played the day after. I went to that too. It was an odd weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Darren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Double\_Darren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Darren)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/3 "2002-07-24T11:08:49Z")
Springstein and the Pope played football? Boy, that does sound odd. I don’t see how the Pope could do very much in his condition but I could see Springstein playing a game ot two. Just sounds weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/4 "2002-07-24T11:11:10Z")
The pope was a very competent goalkeeper in his youth. Bruce Springstein is American, and therefore can’t play football. The Pope could still beat the boss. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/5 "2002-07-24T13:13:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Bruce Springstein is American, and therefore can’t play football. The Pope could still beat the boss. \*\* Hey, hey, HEY!!! Just because Bruce is from New Jersey, don’t you be attacking him now… Iinstead of arguing who has the right to the word “foot”, can’t we all be friends and join forces for good? Now that could be an interesting game - AmerEuro football - black-and-white hexangonal patterned ovoid ball, tall net-encased goalposts, field markers alternating in yards and meters to make things interesting. Mmmm, mebbe not. On second thought, I just can’t picture the Pope in tight padded pants. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/6 "2002-07-24T13:22:57Z")
football is measured in yards. It was invented in England (at my old school actually) so its in imperial measures. The Pope, being Polish, probably thinks in metres though. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/7 "2002-07-24T13:34:16Z")
(Euro) Football fields are measured in yards? Dang, I did NOT know that. Thanks for the info. Wonder if there are any football (either way) players named Pope or Springsteen? BTW, anyone know where is the Pope playi- er, celebrating Mass in Toronto? screech-owl (Blue Jays fan, actually) ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/8 "2002-07-24T13:40:57Z")
yup. Theres no set diimensions for the pitch itself but there are six yard, and eighteen yard lines (the penalty box) and the centre circle is a 10 yard cricle. The goal is eight yards by eight feet. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/9 "2002-07-24T14:08:47Z")
Back to the original post… My friend Chris headed up there Monday with a group from her church friends. If you see her amongst the other 100,000 people, tell her I said “Hey!”, would ya? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/10 "2002-07-24T14:22:02Z")
Again on the original post… Is the Pope well enough to take mass these days? I have only seen him on TV recently but he looks terribly frail. ---
**Author:** ![JimSox5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JimSox5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimSox5)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/11 "2002-07-24T15:32:11Z")
I suppose he’ll be well enough to say mass after he takes his three days of rest. . .while we were raising money for this trip we were all worried he might now live long enough to be at this thing. And if I get to shake the pope’s hand, I’ll say something about keeping goal. . .does he speak english? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/12 "2002-07-24T15:50:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JimSox5 \* > \*\*.does he speak english? \*\* Very well indeed. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/13 "2002-07-24T16:29:10Z")
He doesn’t speak anything very well anymore. Kinda of just mumbles and dribbles nowadays. I saw him in Phoenix Park when he was over here. Not that strange as a quarter of the population of the whole country were also in the park to see him. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-see-the-pope/120522/14 "2002-07-24T17:58:56Z")
My friend Yazmine is going with a church group for the World Youth Days to Toronto to see the Pope, as well. I think they left on Monday, and will be getting back on the 28th. If you see them there, say hi. 🙂 F\_X