American Papist: Not Your Average Catholic!: Recap: Black eye for La Sapienza, good day for Catholic free speech

The day-after reactions to the news that Pope Benedict would not, after all, attend the inauguration of the academic year at La Sapienza university because of protests have been, on the whole, critical of those in the University who attempted to curtail the Pope's right to free speech.

Zadok, who has been ground zero on this story from the start, has this to report:

The Italian press is reporting that that Cardinal Ruini, the Pope's vicar for the Diocese of Rome, is encouraging the faithful to give a large show of support for the Pope by attending the Papal Angelus at noon on Sunday. Needless to say, there's no way I'm missing that.
Mainstream political opinion in Italy is almost entirely in support of the Pope with reference to the whole Sapienza debacle. Even those who do not agree with him see this as a defeat for the principle of free speech. Amongst ordinary Italians there tends to be an attitude of great embarrassment that the Pope seems to be more welcome in Turkey than he is in the country's largest university. Some of the signatories of the notorious letter which opposed the Pope's attendance are also trying to nuance their position. They claim that the letter should have been private and that it was 'used' by the protesters in a way that was not intended. The rector of the university is speaking of a 'defeat for reason and secularism.'
Catholic students from the Sapienza university were also prominent at today's Papal audience. They were showing that if the Pope couldn't come to them, then they were going to go to the Pope.

They appeared both at his general audience today in the Paul VI hall, as well as the outdoor segment.

AsiaNews reports:

"Freedom, Freedom!": the shout raised by a group of university students of the Communion and Liberation movement, at the beginning of today's general audience, met with warm applause from the six thousand persons present in the Paul VI audience hall, and was an echo of the decision Benedict XVI took yesterday not to go to the La Sapienza university of Rome. The decision was due to opposition from a small group of teachers and students, against the invitation that had been extended to him to participate in the inauguration of the academic year. "So there are three places where the pope cannot go: Moscow, Beijing, and the university of Rome", commented one of the young people present at the audience. "If Benedict does not go to La Sapienza, La Sapienza comes to Benedict", read one of the banners that the young people raised.
The pope did not mention the affair, not even in the greeting that he addressed to the students.

Here are images of the supporters:

Even a Moroccan women's group has voiced public support of the Holy Father's freedom of speech.

Of course, there's still plenty of jerks weighing-in on the situation, such as "infoshop news" which touts itself as an "indipendent news service." They titled their report "Pope Scared off by Threat of Loud Music" and continue:

Students had threatened to blast dance music at the pontiff, and also to dress up as nuns. Pretty scary stuff.

But then as a cardinal, Benedict once attacked rock and pop music as the "work of the devil."

And nuns, well, what Pontiff wouldn't be afraid?

They can have their laugh, from today's events it is clear that this tale is far from finished.

Here's how the LA Times tried to hype it:

It's a big deal when the pope agrees to speak at an event that isn't church-related.

It's an even bigger deal when public protest forces him to cancel.

Veteran Vatican-watchers said they'd never seen anything quite like it. Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday abruptly called off plans to speak at Rome's prestigious La Sapienza university, after students and professors rallied to proclaim him pontiff non grata.
... Italy lives in the shadow of the Vatican, and mainstream politicians rarely challenge or criticize the pope.

But still reports:

Officials in both the government and the opposition were quick to lament the protests that waylaid Benedict.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi expressed "solidarity" with the pope and condemned the "unacceptable attitudes of intolerance."

The left-wing minister for family policy, Rosy Bindi, who has clashed with the church on reproductive health and similar issues, said she was "very saddened" by the episode. "This is not a pretty day for our democratic republic," she said.

"You don't have to agree with what he says, but the right to speak must not be denied to anyone," Universities Minister Fabio Mussi said, according to the Italian news agency Ansa.

Pier Ferdinando Casini, head of a main Christian Democratic party, said that with professors like this, "we must fear for the future of our children."

One of the (many) staggering ironies of this whole thing?

La Sapienza was founded 700 years ago by ... Pope Boniface VIII.

I guess this just reveals how far back the tradition of Papal anti-intellectualism can be found.

Uh-huh, sure.

[photo credits: AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, Handout]

update: CNA on Cardinal Ruini's rally cry in support of Pope Benedict this Sunday:

"Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope’s Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, has called on the faithful to gather this Sunday in St. Peter’s Square during the recitation of the Angelus to show their support for Pope Benedict XVI after his visit to La Sapienza University in Rome was cancelled amid protests from students and faculty."

update 2: CNA reports:

"I don't come to impose the faith, but to ask of you the courage for the truth," these were the opening words of Pope Benedict's speech that he was supposed to deliver tomorrow at La Sapienza University in Rome.

Other follow-ups: