How Borders became bishop of the Moon
On the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, the Rev. Austin Murphy, Catholic chaplain at Towson University, blogs about how beloved Baltimore Archbishop William D. Borders became bishop of the Moon: He was ordained bishop in 1968 and made the first Bishop of Orlando, Florida. The new diocese encompassed central Florida and included Cape Canaveral, from where, the following year, Apollo 11 launched, bound for the moon.
After that historic launch and lunar landing, with all the images of our astronauts walking, golfing, and planting the flag, Borders made an ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Paul VI. During their meeting, Borders rather nonchalantly observed, "You know, Holy Father, I am the bishop of the Moon."
Pope Paul looked at him rather perplexed - probably wondering where along the line this American prelate lost his mind. Borders then continued by explaining that by the existing (1917) Code of Canon Law, he was the de facto ordinary of this "newly discovered" territory.
(Former Sun religion writer John Rivera directed us to Rocco Palmo's Whispers in the Loggia post citing Murphy; thanks to all.)
Sun file photo, 1998
