Death of a Travellin’ Man
PP is not the People’s Princess this time, it’s the People’s Pope.
The people they came from far and wide, they crossed countries, they crossed continents. They waited, they vigilled, they prayed, they paid their respects. Catholics and others of religions not recognized, wanted him to stay a little longer, but unfortunately the prayers of millions could not be answered. The time had come and Pope Paul ll was called back to the Kingdom of God.
Being the top guy in the Catholic Church, the true church, he went straight to heaven. Even more of a guarantee of a direct route is the fact he died within eight days of Easter.
The Catholic Church is pretty flexible. In ancient times creating saints took centuries, and then it was reduced to decades. Pope John Paul II speeded up the sainthood process even more, and helped Mother Teresa along the fast track. And for Pope Paul ll let’s make it instant. We do not need the Devil’s Advocate this time. There have been enough miracles.
The Catholic Church, God’s elite club, moves with the times. These are modern times; the Church has revolutionized itself to fit the modern world.
On 16 October 1978, a non-Italian, a Polish pontiff, was elected for the first time in 450 years. The death of this Pope was announced by mobile phone text message at 9.37pm, just minutes after his death. Moving with the times.
For the Pope-a-rama funeral the international media shut down on other news for days. The world media gathered in the Holy See to give us minute-by-minute news of the proceedings and the vigil.
Not for the Catholic Church sackcloth and grass sandals. It is garments gilded and purple and scarlet. It is pomp and ceremony and tradition. Give the ordinary members and others a chance to take part in the Church’s rich heritage. Give the people a chance to add to their wealth, a wealth of memorabilia: commemorative T shirts and stamps, religious icons and rosaries, coins, souvenirs, trinkets and curios.
Catholicism is not just a religion. It is a country, one of the richest. It is the Vatican, the Holy See, all of 44 square km. Accumulation of priceless treasures makes up for the lack of natural resources.
The People’s Pope was a liberal pope. His concern for human rights, his stance against war and poverty, his willingness to meet with Islamic leaders, his desire to visit Communist countries and his love for humanity is globally recognized. But he has also left behind gargantuan challenges for the newly elected Pope.
Pope Benedict XVI has promised to be the “Listening Pope.” He will also have to look, look within the church.
He has to sort out the problems of gay priests and sex scandals and child molestation. He cannot set aside “the sins of some of our brothers.” Neither does the solution lie in millions of dollars paid out in settlements. Serious thought has to be given to celibacy, ordination of women priests, gay marriage, contraception, abortion, divorce, and remarriage of divorced church members. He has to rethink the Church’s views of Eastern Christian religions as not being Christian. He has to decide why his church is against Eastern mediation and yoga, both of which are older than the Catholic Church and now practiced by increasing numbers of Catholics.
But most serious of all is the church’s opposition to condoms. The solutions offered by the church for the prevention of AIDS are not practical. Millions of Christians die of AIDS in Africa, leaving behind millions of orphans. Catholic-dominated Brazil and the Philippines, where abortion is rampant, where birth control is archaic, where divorce is not officially recognized, are sinking deeper into poverty. They need immediate help.
Jesus was a great liberator. Let’s hope Pope Ratzinger Benedict XVI will follow suit and make a quick and sensitive shift in the Elite Club.
“Is truth determined by a majority vote, only for a new ‘truth’ to be ‘discovered’ by a new majority tomorrow?” Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, asked in an interview in 1996.
Sir, truth has been determined by a majority vote and discovered anew. You and your team please think well, think fast and come up with solutions.
These new challenges are the old ones.
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I’m not a big fan of sadhus and monks, even if they are Catholic. Somehow I feel, obviously or in hidden secret ways, they all expect you to change your mind and agree with them. I would probably agree with some of them if this expectation doesn’t lurk in the background.
If Pope John Paul II was really as great as people or media made him to be, I wonder how he could ignore the suffering of innocent boys at the hands of his priests. How come he didn’t meet a single vicitm of sexual abuse? What use is going and letting people kiss your ring if you cannot feel their pain?
As for Pope Benedict XVI, I hope he would go beyond listening and become a karma yogi instead. What use is listening if it doesn’t inspire you to act?
Pope Benerdict was a surporter of the Nazis how can someone closed minded feel for all the people in the world?…
Mmm, have to think about that. Religion is normally open to “their” converted and close minded about the rest. I think the former Pope was the only religous head who attempted dialogue with Muslim clerics and with heads of Communism.
Nana Leela
Ms. Leela,
My heart goes out to you. Just found your website on tsunami- and am deeply touched. It was my father’s hotel you were at and his children and grandchildren were all there to celebrate holidays and daddy finishing the resort. We lost my baby sister (Dad’s #4 daughter (there was 4 daughters, now 3). My 1st time seeing pics of our place filled up..I saw so many after the waters receded. We found her body in thelake and now she is buried there just outside of office by the front lobby. Under the palm tree that saved dad’s life. Sorry it happened, everyone lost, but we also won – my father, mom, two other sisters , my brother in law and my own 3 sons (7,10 & 11) and baby nephew all survived. 11 out of 12 is a miracle I will always thank God for. Going back again this xmas to see my little Kara who is buried there. God bless you. Please visit again, not necessarily our hotel but the area as the people need our help.