The latest from the archdiocese: The northbound lanes of Massachusetts Avenue between Whitehaven and 34th Place — which go nearest to the papal nunciature — will be shut down either by the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police Department or a combo of the two for much of this week from 10 a.m. Tuesday to mid-morning Friday. The southbound lanes will be open.

If you want to get anywhere near the nunciature, you have to go through a checkpoint at 34th and Fulton. This sounds like a horrific traffic headache in the making or part two of what will be known as Benedict-our-traffic-nightmare. You heard it first here.

— Julia Duin, assistant national editor/religion, The Washington Times