Pope Benedict-Beatles redux

I got the February 3 issue of National Catholic Reporter yesterday (only about a week late).

On page 10 there was an article by John Allen on Pope Benedict’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. (Guess there was no room on later pages.)

Allen began by making a connection between the encyclical and a Beatles song.

All you need is love.

Wait a minute.

I made that very same connection back on January 19 (“Pope Benedict- Beatles Link”).

Is it possible that … ALLEN READS MY BLOG?

My first thought might have been that it was just a coincidence, except that I had just read an article in the same issue (on page 5) that Father Richard McBrien, described as a “liberal Catholic columnist” (hence page 5, as opposed to page 10?) has been accused of plagiarism. He allegedly stole, um, borrowed, descriptions and phrases from a column printed in the Boston Globe about a protest at a Boston Catholic Charities fundraiser.

Hmm. Hmm indeed.

For now, I will give Allen the benefit of the doubt and let it be.

But tomorrow never knows.