Three years ago when the then Cardinal Ratzinger was named Pope Benedict XVI the Pope pundits said he was a temp.

In other words they said he was going to be an interim Pope, primarily because of his age.

After all he is the oldest Pope ever at the age of 81.

When his brother was asked during a vetting process by Cardinals if he would make a good Pope, he said, “No.”

He said his brother would rather write and play music.

And so three years later the Pope came to America and he looks anything but a temp to represent the Catholic Church.

Our kids sang happy birthday to him on his 81st. He is not frail; he spoke with vigor and kept a 6-day schedule seniors 20 years his junior would have trouble matching.

He proved to be an academic, an intellectual, a people’s Pope who is doing the work of the Vatican.

He challenged in his messages the old adage that religion and politics do not mix.

He mixed up those messages on his visit to the US like a gourmet chef.

He moved from event to event in Washington DC, said he was ‘ashamed’ over the sexual abuse of children by priests, and did so before his plane ever touched US soil, then he met with victims and apologized in behalf of the Church during his many scheduled appearances.

The Pope’s trip was a public relations person’s dream, a protocol chief’s celebration and a security chief’s well executed operation.

The Pope seems to deliver unquestioned integrity while making faith relevant, and having a good time while this is taking place.

He continues to stress that true freedom is doing the right thing, and couldn’t be more right-on in his message.

As a factious, cynical columnist, I couldn’t have been more charmed, and I was never in his presence. While sitting in my office watching TV, I attended more masses and observed more religious presentations and listened to more secular commentary than I have since I was a child.

I was impressed by the Pope’s visit, his performance and the well executed Vatican machine, its Swiss Guard, and the coordination that took place with our Secret Service, the police of Washington DC and of course the finest of the New York City police department.

It was a very complex achievement in these days of extreme terrorism.