In the fast-paced moments after a Papal audience has ended, the Pope-mobile revs up its engine (The Vatican’s equivalent of something Schumacher or Jeff Gordon or Ricky Bobby would drive) and begins circulating around St. Peter’s Square.

It must be surreal to the Pope-du-jour, especially having to do this week after week (except when the audiences are held indoors).  At least, it surely would be to me if I were Pope…  Now, I am sure these men do it because they know what it means to the faithful pilgrims and the non-believer/believer celebrity chasers visiting Rome.  But it still must become routine.  I am writing this AFTER Pope Francis who has broken a lot of the rules and patterns – who knows what he will do with this drive-around one fine day when he is just tired of it!  This Holiness probably much rather be walking around, mingling, drinking some “mate” or, at minimum, a Mendoza wine.  In any case, it is quite the scene.  Getting to St. Pete’s Square early enough and knowing the key “intersections” where the Pope-mobile will go through is key.

What I love about this picture is a mix of the camera-happy crowd, the Pope-mobile, a corner of the Pope (Benedict XVI, in this case), and the emotion captured in the reflection of that bullet-proof glass.  Regardless of your position vis-à-vis the Pope, etc. I hope you appreciate, as I do, the human emotion captured in that bullet-proof glass.  Whether it be about a Pope, about voodoo, about a piece of bacon, about having 6-pack abs, or about saving dolphins, every human being has something that grabs them and makes them tick.  This pic does it for me because, even if it is not technically superb, it shows human joy about being close to what is normally an unreachable.