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John Paul II
Apr. 2nd, 2005 12:28 pmToday is a strange day. I'm watching the news and following the coverage of the Pope's failing health and its so sad. The tape at the bottom of the screen read's 'Pope's blood pressure has worsened....slipping in and out of consciousness....not in a coma....Pontiff suffering from heart and kidney problems.....breathing said to be shallow....' and it just makes me want to cry.
He's obviously going to go at some point this weekend and the world seems to be waiting. Services being held throughout the world, people praying, holding vigils...I was listening to one newsperson who had asked a young man why he had frozen all night in St. Peter's Square, holding a candle. His answer? 'Simply because I feel that this man is like my own father.' Thats just beautiful. *wells up*
I'm not Catholic, in fact, I come from a Irish Protestant family. Lol, some of my relatives refuse to even set foot in a shop run by Catholics, they're that staunch in their rejection of Catholicism. I just think thats stupid - my Grandmothers funeral was just over a week ago and there were many people there who were not Protestant, they came simply out of respect for her. She was a midwife and a nurse and cared for everyone, no matter what their background. Thats a valuable lesson right there.
Anyway, my point is - there are people who hold no truck with the church and that's their right. But I've got to have respect for a man that can inspire such love and respect in people as the Pope obviously does. I saw him during one of his weekly adresses when I was in Rome a couple of years ago, and the strength of feeling throughout the crowd was just unbelievable, it blew me away. So, yeah. Rest easy your Holiness. Job well done.
He's obviously going to go at some point this weekend and the world seems to be waiting. Services being held throughout the world, people praying, holding vigils...I was listening to one newsperson who had asked a young man why he had frozen all night in St. Peter's Square, holding a candle. His answer? 'Simply because I feel that this man is like my own father.' Thats just beautiful. *wells up*
I'm not Catholic, in fact, I come from a Irish Protestant family. Lol, some of my relatives refuse to even set foot in a shop run by Catholics, they're that staunch in their rejection of Catholicism. I just think thats stupid - my Grandmothers funeral was just over a week ago and there were many people there who were not Protestant, they came simply out of respect for her. She was a midwife and a nurse and cared for everyone, no matter what their background. Thats a valuable lesson right there.
Anyway, my point is - there are people who hold no truck with the church and that's their right. But I've got to have respect for a man that can inspire such love and respect in people as the Pope obviously does. I saw him during one of his weekly adresses when I was in Rome a couple of years ago, and the strength of feeling throughout the crowd was just unbelievable, it blew me away. So, yeah. Rest easy your Holiness. Job well done.
