The Pope Goofs Off, Too

The Pope wants you to take a vacation. And to set the proper example, he is on vacation himself this week, in the Italian Alps.

I'm not Catholic. And to be sure, Pope Benedict XVI and I have our differences. For example, he is the leader of one of the world's largest faiths, and I am an obscure blogger. That, and our viewpoints differ with respect to almost every issue on which he takes a position. But this is a proclamation I can stand behind: "[Holidays] have become almost a necessity to recover in body and spirit, especially for those who live in the city where the often frenetic conditions of life leave little space for silence and reflection."

Perhaps I should send him a copy of How to be Idle.

As a kind of bonus, Benedict offers up this lovely -- and true -- remark on the value of exploring the natural world: "In contact with nature, people can again find their true dimension. They rediscover themselves as creatures, small but at the same time unique."

Amen, brother.