cantate pontifici canticum novum...

The ongoing project to compose a successor to 'John Paul II, We love you' has not been very successful in this corner of Christendom so far, but one friend (gratias, JjS!) suggests, to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory,

Benedict the XVI,
He's from Germany;
After John Paul the II,
He ascended to the Holy See.

(It sounds better when you sing it...)

Inspiration failed at this point, but it occurs to me that one could just add,

Wider still and wider
Shall his bounds be set;
God Who made him mighty,
Make him mightier yet.

Or, possibly more appropriately,

From the Chair of St Peter
He casts the Gospel net;
God Who makes the catch mighty,
Make it mightier yet.

OK, yes, the crowd chanting 'Be-ne-DET-to' was onto something a lot catchier...

Surreal moment of the weekend: at the SPUC pro-life chain, random bloke walks past and shouts 'Fascists! Nazis!' Did you know that National Socialists were pro-life? The scales have fallen from my eyes...