Looking at a happy man

Of liturgy and life: Jesuit scholar reflects on his 46 years in Rome

Jesuit Father Robert F. Taft holds a rare book in the library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome March 16, 2011. Father Taft, one of the foremost experts on Byzantine liturgy, is returning to the U.S. after more than 46 years in Rome.

In a sitting room where lace doilies top every table, Jesuit Father Robert F. Taft's gray sweater and wooden cane add to the impression that he's a refined retired professor.