Be not afraid.
My Pope is dying.
I don't attend mass very regularly, but I've always considered myself Catholic and I've always loved my Pope. To be perfectly hosnest I don't know much about him, and I wish I knew more. Everything I've heard about him has been the stuff of heros. Maybe he held, no holds, some conservative views that might be outdated. Maybe the Church needs a little growing. But under him it has grown almost like never beore. Rather than deciding that Vatican II was enough, like an ordinary Pope might have, John Paul II pushed the Church to grow and change even further, driving it all the time. I love him for that.
People die and things change all the time. World leaders come and go. But the sky is always blue on a sunny day, the grass is green when it's healthy, the sun rises in the east, and John Paul II is Pope. It's amazing the things you can overlook, huh? What's the next guy gonna be like? Will I like him? Will he have a sense of humor? How long will we be without a Pope? What if he isn't good enough? What if I'm not proud of him? Now, more than ever before I have to put my trust in the Church. Choosing the Pope is supposed to be this miraculous occourance. It's a good thing that as far as I'm concerned a Cardinal saying, "Well how about this guy" is perfectly within the realm of "miracle."
This is a time in need of prayer. Not just for Catholics, but for everyone. The world is a better place when it's leaders are good at their jobs. For any of you who ever take a moment in prayer, I would like you to pray with me that the changes that will be happening in the Roman Catholic Church will be for the good of the world. Thank you.
PS the title of this entry was apparently JP2's motto. I didn't know that until today.
*edit*
The Pope just died. Rest in Peace Karol Józef Wojtyła.
posted by Bridget @ 1:01 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
It feels like the world just lost a superhero. On a positive note, 115 of the 117 cardinals choosing the next pope were appointed by JPII so they are likely to pick a good'en. One of the people being considered is from Nigeria..and I really hope that he gets chosen, it would be good for the church and for Africa.
I go before you always,
Come follow me,
and I will give you rest.
God Bless Pope John Paul II.
:)
I'm routing for Cardinal Cristoph Schonborn.
Here's some info on some of the possibilities.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4136355/
What criteria will be used to pick the next pope?
You’ll have to elect someone who is in good health. John Paul has been seen by more human beings than anyone in history, with his travels around the world and his activities. It would be hard to elect someone who didn’t like travel or physically wasn’t able to live up to that regimen. John Paul brought to the papacy an incredible human culture. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his theological convictions, here’s a man with two earned doctorates, a world-class philosopher, a writer on drama and theater. After that standard, it’s hard to go back to someone who is not as intellectual.
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You also have to look at languages. The pope is the bishop of Rome. He has to speak Italian. Latin remains the official working language of church law and church doctrine. You can’t get by without speaking English. There’s also a large number of the faithful in Spanish-speaking countries. French is still the diplomatic language of the Vatican diplomacy. And if you want to be in tune with the Catholic or protestant theology of the last 50 years, most of the seminal work is in German. Then they’re going to look for someone with pastoral experience. The period in which a pope can be elected who spent his entire life as a bureaucrat is over.
Who would meet your criteria?
I come down to five people who currently could meet all those criteria. One is Dionigi Tettamanzi, the archbishop of Milan, the largest Catholic diocese in Europe, and he’s a bioethicist by trade … Another is Severino Poletto, the archbishop of Turin, who’s got a lower profile … Angelo Scola is the patriarch of Venice, a city that has given the church a pope three times in the 20th century, and a scholar. Francis Arinze also meets the criteria. He is a Nigerian with a fascinating personal story. His father was a chieftain, and he converted and was baptized at the age of 9. In 2002, he was transferred to head of the office in charge of liturgy and sacraments in Rome … Finally, Christoph Schönborn, who is 60, young by cardinal standards. He’s the only cardinal of electors who is titled aristocracy; he’s related by blood to every European royal family. He’s also a brilliant theologian with great sensitivity to the Christian East, orthodoxy and Eastern bloc Catholics. And he’s the editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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