Perhaps it is too early to share this, and yet I cannot help but think that the Pope himself would have been amused and gratified by it.
Linda spent much of the afternoon in tears over the death of the Holy Father. Naturally, this distressed Samuel who asked why whe was crying. Linda told him that the Pope had died. Samuel asked, "What's a Pope."
Linda told him that just as Father Garcia was the priest for his Church, the Pope was the priest for all of the Church, he was Fr. Garcia's big boss.
Samuel's answer was to say, "Can I be Pope?"
Such a simple answer. But what is beautiful, and wonderful, and amusing about it, is this--just as John Paul II is the skiing, hiking, vibrant Pope, Samuel, whatever name he might take would be our first all tap-danicing, all piano-playing Pope.
Steven,
I am thankful that you shared that Linda spent the afternoon in tears. Me too. We spent yesterday running back and forth to church for Mass, to pray, and for Confession. I am profoundly saddened. He was my Father. I was 13 when he became Pope. He was installed and I was confirmed in the same year. He came to Chicago and I knew him not. Noone went. We thought it odd that he was there. We did not understand a visiting pope and we did not stir from our homes. I missed the opportunity of a lifetime and have long regretted it. He so facilitated my growth and acceptance of the faith into which I had been born. He made my graduate studies of theology so rich and personal and wonderfully satisfying. He has been a mainstay, a rock of safety, an anchor point for my adult life. Now we pray for him and for the Church in her vulnerability without a pope.
We ache for missing him. We rejoice in the peacefulness and swiftness of his dying. We are grateful for the Masses and prayers said with him while he died. What a blessing. What an example.
Sean is named after him. He will have the privilege of serving at the altar at our parish's Memorial Mass Wednesday night.
We grieve that our bishop is not having any special diocesan Mass or prayer service or anything at this time. We are grateful that our pastor is having a Mass.
Dear Franklin,
You're sounding an awful lot like Katherine here. What's happening?
shalom,
Steven
Steven,
I failed to check my computer's saved settings. Franklin must have posted to your blog from my computer. I did, indeed, write the above.
Sorry for the confusion.