Last week, new US ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon presented her credentials to Pope Benedict. Elizabeth Lev writes of the occasion for Zenit with her usual grace and insight – even more so this time, since her mother is, well, Mary Ann Glendon:

The door to the Pope’s study opened and we entered in single file. I expected to see Benedict XVI on a raised dais in the middle of the room. Wrong. The Holy Father was standing next to the door, looking like a delighted host eager to greet long-awaited guests.

I had read about papal affability in the jocular exchanges between Popes and artists, not to mention the countless stories from the reign of John Paul II, but to see that friendliness in person was still surprising. No distant aura of aloofness, no chilly sanctimoniousness, but a sincere smile and frank interest in each person presented to him.
With our heads in the clouds and broad smiles creasing our faces, we posed for photos and received rosaries and blessings from Benedict XVI. I thought the day had hit its zenith, but again, I was wrong.
As we filed back out into the loggia, four Swiss Guards took places around the new ambassador. With their halberds raised, they formed a protective curtain around her.
The stately procession made its way down the stairs to the colorful halls of the Sala Reggia and Sala Ducale, until we reached the Royal Stairs, the dramatic descent from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica and Square.
After 10 years of visiting the Basilica almost daily, I saw it with different eyes.
Turning into the bronze portals, we saw the immense nave of St. Peter’s stretched out before us; the ambassador’s cortege was tracing the same route as the papal procession for Mass.

The size of the Basilica amazes all visitors, but for the Pope, the vast and awe-inspiring space contained within its walls must be a striking reminder of his responsibilities as the successor of St. Peter.
Along the nave, Jesus’ words to St. Peter shimmer in gold mosaic, while in the apse, written in both Latin and Greek, is Christ’s charge to feed his 1.1 billion sheep and lambs around the world.
More than just a great Catholic clubhouse, the basilica underscores the tremendous duty of the universal pastor.

In case you’ve not read them:
The Pope’s address to Ambassador Glendon
And Glendon’s address to him.