Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Tradition, Pomp and Circumstance...

I'm not particularly religious, which in any case is not the same thing as being spiritual, but I find today's election of a new Pope is rather historical. The last time a Pope abdicated, over 500 years ago, and a new one was chosen, Michelangelo had not yet painted the beautiful frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, under which today’s vote took place. In the larger picture, we are witnessing history, a history that has a long connection to the past. Whether we agree with Catholicism or not, today was a historical process.

Life is awfully boring without a little pomp and circumstance occasionally. In many ways, our traditions and cultures are what define us and make us feel part of the larger community.  The church is a very old organization, and like any large, old organization, it has its problems. Lots of problems. I believe the church will address its problems, and I wish Pope Francis the best of luck.

3 comments:

joanne said...

I thought it was a little too quick but am not really surprised with the choice. In the end I hope they were guided to the decision that is best for the church in the coming years. It has to do some catching up at some point. I like that he is Jesuit and think it will be helpful in his decision making. It is so very interesting to watch history unfold and to be part of it all. I'm long past my church's roots in Catholicism but spiritually it is embedded in me, for better or for worse!

Lorna said...

I, like Joanne, am glad that he was schooled by the Jesuits.

~Lorna
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KrippledWarrior said...

Hello Jo, I did a lot of thinking and reading after the last post of yours I read. And I would love to share a little with you on the subject of celibacy. The fact is that of all priests in the Catholic Church who had any sort of molestation in their records is less than 4%. That means that 96% who were celibate were never involved. And the Boy Scouts have no celibacy rules yet have a higher incidence of Scout masters offending as molesters. Thank you for putting up with this old ex alterboy