“It was like a retreat.” That is how I described the six days, off and on, that I spent with Pope Benedict XVI as he reached out and touched in faith tens of thousands of faithful who came to the Eucharistic Celebrations and other prayer gatherings, as well as the millions who viewed him on TV.

Often one hears that watching on TV is not the same as being at the event. While I believe this is true, I was amazed at the way in which TV viewers of our Holy Father spoke of being moved, even to tears, on occasions. I joined the ranks of TV viewers as I watched his quiet and powerful presence at ground zero. Our Holy Father paused — not for a perfunctory moment of silence — but for a deeply engaged time of silent prayer.

There’s a whole lot of untruth being perpetuated in our world. From advertising to the Internet, “there’s a sucker born every minute.” People today crave truth so much that they are highly susceptible to any “truth oil salesman” on the block.

George Orwell once said, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

Q. What is the difference between mortal and venial sins, and what are the venial sins?

A. A bit of history will help you understand any attempt to answer these questions. In the very early Christian church, during the Roman persecutions of the first centuries, one sin particularly was recognized as the big one — abandoning one’s faith in Christ because of fear of pain or death. That’s the option the first Christians faced — either be faithful to Christ and die, or deny Christ and live.