[Industrialblog,
April 2, 2005]
Pope's bodyguard
In the fall of 1996 the Pope visited the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., where I used to work. The Archdiocese needed help managing the enormous press corps, so they called pretty much everyone who ever worked for the Archdiocesean PR department and newspaper. We all showed up.
When Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at Giants Stadium, there were two elevated platforms in the crowd on the stadium floor, one on either side of the stage, slightly in front. They were for television cameras and photographers. I was in charge of one of the platforms, and one photographer didn't have a press pass. So I told him to leave. He ignored me. I insisted. He insisted. He seemed very authoritative, so as I hesitated a second as I decided whether or not to toss this guy off the platform. Fortunately, a few people intervened and said, "That's John Paul's personal photographer."
Oh. Someone could've told me, you know.
So that's how I nearly threw the Pope's personal photographer off a press platform.
When Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at Giants Stadium, there were two elevated platforms in the crowd on the stadium floor, one on either side of the stage, slightly in front. They were for television cameras and photographers. I was in charge of one of the platforms, and one photographer didn't have a press pass. So I told him to leave. He ignored me. I insisted. He insisted. He seemed very authoritative, so as I hesitated a second as I decided whether or not to toss this guy off the platform. Fortunately, a few people intervened and said, "That's John Paul's personal photographer."
Oh. Someone could've told me, you know.
So that's how I nearly threw the Pope's personal photographer off a press platform.