"I am seldom, if ever 'fair'; it is one of my glories."

I once had a teacher who gave that response when one of our happy band of scholars complained that his proposed examination would be "Unfair!"

I, however, do try to be fair when there's no other way around it. And if I am going to refer you to some very entertaining and informative articles it looks like I'm going to have to be something resembling fair to The Times.

The Times has been largely, if not entirely, positive and even generous in its reporting on the Holy Father's funeral. I'm not vouching for the commentary and the highly selective choices in the Letters section. And there were a couple of articles I could have done without. But for the most part, the reporting has been well-worth my 50 cents.

Some recommended samples:

Pope's Footmen Gladly Bear the Burden (The Holy Father's pallbearers were the hereditary footmen to the pope.)

Sacred Music Borne Aloft for Centuries (a nice primer on Gregorian Chant)

Vatican Tailors Recall Their 'Easy Customer' (Gamarelli's has been profiled before but still interesting. Another family business.)

Funeral for a Pope (A pdf document illustrating the locations of the Holy Father's funeral and burial. More like a poster or a chart.)