The Whole Point

On Thursday morning, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe during her trip to Mexico. As part of the visit to the basilica, she left a bouquet of white flowers on behalf of the American people.

I think it's very good that Secretary Clinton visited Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. The visit itself was a smart and thoughtful thing to do. And, I hope that HRC came away from it blessed and Spirit-filled.

But.

There is a news report indicating that, when Secretary Clinton was shown the image of Our Lady, she asked, "Who painted it?".

It's possible she was misquoted. It was early in the morning. Maybe she misspoke. Maybe there was translation problem.

And, as a commenter said over at Deacon Greg's, "at least 'who painted it' is the right question to ask."

But, if she really did ask this, it shows that either Secretary Clinton or her handlers aren't doing their homework. "Who painted it" is the entire reason the image is what it is. There's not a massive cathedral outside of Mexico City because there's just a beautiful painting there.

Our belief in the miracle is the whole point of the place.

Note to the State Department: IF your boss really asked this question, it's an indicator that you need to improve your system for preparing her for the important work she has to do. A mistake like this in the Jerusalem or Mecca could have been much more damaging.

A final thought: IF this is true, it's no wonder HRC didn't gain the Democrats' nod for the White House. She didn't know a key detail about something that is very important in the lives of Mexican-Americans -- and many other Catholics in the United States.

God bless her.

The image above is from The Anchoress.