Papal visit

I was going to write this:
When you believe you are god's representative on earth, you may very well be one of many, but when 1 billion people believe you're god's rep on earth, now that is unique.

Then I heard on the radio the pope's visit to the synagogue, the kind words, about the nice gift he brought, and I was moved.

So there you go: from snide to teary-eyed is a short distance.