You just can't make this stuff up

"Hillary Clinton leaves flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe, asks ‘Who painted it?’" (Catholic News Service, March 27, 2009):

Mexico City, Mexico. During her recent visit to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers “on behalf of the American people,” after asking who painted the famous image.

... After observing it for a while, Mrs. Clinton asked “who painted it?” to which Msgr. Monroy responded “God!”

Clinton then told Msgr. Monroy that she had previously visited the old Basilica in 1979, when the new one was still under construction. [In other words... she had heard at least once before about the image.... the sort of story people tend to remember.]

After placing a bouquet of white flowers by the image, Mrs. Clinton went to the quemador –the open air area at the Basilica where the faithful light candles- and lit a green candle.

Leaving the basilica half an hour later, Mrs. Clinton told some of the Mexicans gathered outside to greet her, “You have a marvelous virgin!” (emphasis added) [This is why she is our Secretary of State!] [Comments in brown from Fr. Zuhlsdorf]

"You have a marvelous virgin!

"Who painted it?"

Wow ...

[Hat tip to J.M.]