It rained last night. Just for about ten minutes. I had promised the 100 or so kids from around the world who are sleeping outside in our basketball courts that it wouldn’t all week but what do you know, a little surprise foe everyone. It may have been wet, but it’s little compared to the inundation of pilgrims flooding the streets. Down at the center of town, around Puerta del Sol, thousands of anti-pope protesters took on the visitors with indignant cries against the church, the pope and Christianity in general, which I guess they have a right to do (though it was an illegal demonstration since it wasn’t correctly convoked) but then again I went down to see them three months ago in the May 15th Movement and shared many of their complaints and I didn’t see anyone attacking them. Still, the news probably got more attention than it should have. The general mood in Madrid is very peaceful. Just from talking to people I have run into and who have nothing to do with the organization of the pope’s visit, many are moved by the friendly atmosphere out on the street. Some have told me that they are going for more walks than ever just to enjoy watching all those young people having such a great time and to somehow feel apart of the great feeling regardless of their faith or views on the Church. I have to admit that I joined as a volunteer for my school mainly to help out with any logistics needed to assist the 500 youths that have come to stay with us, but I in no way could have imagined the scale of this event. They kids are great. So quite a fiesta is stirring up in Madrid. That’s what’s going on.
