Last night I had the privilege of clinking pint glasses with the
Pontificator at a nice pub outside of Arlington. He happened to be in town and looked me up. I must admit my biggest questions concerned what the Pontificator would look like. I had anticipated
this. But, in fact, to all interested parties, he looks more like
this (only markedly younger, and the beard isn't quite as full). The Pontificator is a cordial, earnest and delightful gentleman (and I must add generous, since he picked up the tab). We discussed patristics, metaphysics, the passing of the Holy Father, and the joys and challenges of fatherhood. As usual, I drank too much. But I must say, two pints of porter ale render the mind remarkably acute: Augustine's Trinitarian metaphysic never sounded quite so sensible and matter-of-fact as it did when I was explaining it. I also note that the Pontificator was easily identifiable, when I found him, by the massive tome of the
Summa that was sitting on his bar table.
