Your Thoughts and Feelings about the "Going Home" of our Pope John Paul II
I began my morning at 1:00am as I curled up on the couch with a blanket to pray with the millions around the world, thousands upon thousands in the square, and the hundreds gathered around the Vatican outside altar. All gathered, all equal, around a very holy man laid within a simple, humble, cypress coffin, that he requested to return to the arms of his dear Mother Earth, the ground from which he sprang!
As I watched into the wee hours of the morning I was more and more moved by the love, hope and union that was and is so present in our world, I feel I can just reach out touch it. Continued thoughts inside...all are welcome to share!
posted by Pia's Pals @ 10:01 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
As I said I am moved from the depths within me. I am sure you can tell from my writings that I am fairly a moderate, okay progressive, Catholic in our day and age. There are many issues that I still long to be expressed in our global church. I have learned many things these last weeks watching the passing of our Pope John Paul. I really was tuned in as my name says "rebeccalistens", but somehow my WHOLE being was listening now! Listening more deeply for the inner intentions of the Holy Father and his decsions, and more so, to his priorities in implementing them! I guess if someone came to me and said you have a choice of putting your energy into having married priests OR the release of bondage for millions of people from communism or highlighting the pitfalls of capitalism. My answer would be the latter. Or putting your energy into women ordination OR uniting the Christian faiths and then Jewish faith plus asking forgiveness for decades of oppression and silent killing. I think the latter. Or putting your energy into liturgical changes OR uniting and increasing reverence for all world religions. The latter. I guess what I saw at the Pope's funeral was a testament to a holy man who did have a set goal in his heart, a larger picture in his mind, and a global focus for peace. No wonder our younger generations are so attracted to him, many of them if you note, are so focused on world peace and justice. I look at what I choose to do in a day, in my ministry, with whom and how...it is all about choices of the priorities that I set. And usually with what I feel is of most importance. Yet, I am holding at the same time many concerns (like all the "latters" above) that I may feel passionatley about, but you do not see that from what I choose to put my energy into. I am reminded, humbly so, that I am part of a universal church, where the concerns are different from mine, mainly because I do not worry about food, shelter, health, freedom and all other basic needs. The former issues above are still valuable to me and are pressing for movement, but now they have joined a larger picture of what it means to be church, not with just 1.7 billion Catholics around the world, but with the 6+billion holy people on this planet, as well!
I was pretty overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and respect that our whole world had for Pope John Paul. Reading your choice situations was very interesting. I know I get caught up in what I think would work for "us" whoever "us" is and after reading your comments, I might feel a little differently about some things. I did say might because there is a lot to think about here. They are not just overnight decisions. Thank you so much for sharing from your heart what you feel. It really makes me stop and think.
Welocme, Lynne, good to hear some one else's feelings. I know, too, those choices hit me! I do believe they are more of a "both/and" and not really a "either/or". I guess it is all about priorities and John Paul II certainly had his. I just finished reading his last "Will and Testament" and he sites his great love and hope in the Vatican II Council, saying it was the greatest gift given to the Church! His whole focus had been on how to bring God's people into the third millinium and he used the Vatican II documents as his guide. He complimented the use of Science, Technology, Travel and the possiblity of Global unity and peace. Such was his goal, such was his accomplishment!
I must say that I'm nervous about the future of the papacy. I wonder who will be left with the arduaous task of filling JPII's shoes.
JPII was staunchly conservative on many issues, but many liberally minded people still appreciated ans respected him because of the way he delivered his message. Always loving, kind, and honest in his mission.
Will the next pope bring to Catholicism? Time will tell. I have hopes and dreams for the Church. I worry about poverty, AIDS, and war. I hope that the next Church leader can open a dialogue with Islamic leaders. So, for now, I'll just pray that the folks in the Vatican choose wisely.
I must admit that I am excited to learn more about the conclave process. Since I'm so young, JPII is the only pope I have ever known. I have been meaning to read Conclave: The Politics, Personalities and Process of the Next Papal Election by John L. Allen. Now I have my reason to finally do it!
JPII made a new aspect of the Conclave possible: the pope can now be elected by a simple majority, if a two thirds majority cannot be reached. This is interesting because he himself might not have become pope if this rule had been in place during his election (he was selected as a compromise because the Cardinals couldn't choose between two Italians).
Hi SoulJourney, where as John Paul II was conservative in some areas, he sure opened us up to the world! The Pope that follows in his shoes would HAVE to be interested in poverty, aids, and justice, this is what this Pope did for his entire time in. We are having a presentation on the Conclave here Weds. 13th at 7:00pm. Come on over! May the Spirit fly over Vatican city these days!!!
For me, the most moving moment while watching the Pope's funeral was seeing all the religious leaders -patriarchs, rabbis, imams, buddhist monks - all gathered together. That's
what the church universal means to me. Everyone coming together though we worship in different ways and have different names for God.
What an incredible testament that was to John Paul II's love for humanity and his commitment to peace.
I was also taken aback by the outpouring of love and respect from people all over the world. I suppose I didn't think that would happen at a grand scale since there are many people who view the roman catholic church with suspicion or just plain apathy. Or maybe I had become apathetic myself and simply forgot what a wise, tender and loving man JPII was.
I've struggled with my faith and wrestled with church doctrine so much in the past two decades that I've relegated the Holy Father to the periphery.
His passing has brought me home, so to speak. I felt such a rush of love for him and for the church. I will never forget him.
You are very wordy and I wonder if you are more interested in a one-way publishing exercise than you are interested in a shared dialog.
The volume of your words is somewhat overwhelming to find the time for thoughtful responce to specifics.
I this your intent?
God rest his soul....Check my blog out - Bradsblog
Hello all,
I just wanted to say, Finn, that your response really resonated with me. I often get stuck in "former" of the choices you mentioned, sister-with-heart: the role of women in the church, the acknowledgement of younger generations and their incorporation into the liturgy. I too put the Holy Father in the periphery because he represented conservatism to me.
But I found a very real peace watching the Pope's funeral. And part of me wishes that I had taken the time to understand him and his choices better.
I was struck by the ritual, almost shocked to hear myself unconsciously speaking in English the prayers that were being offered and translated in Latin, in Italian. I felt like I had gone to a home inside myself.
I was least impressed by the media analogies to the "POpe as rockstar." Instead, I found some reconciliation and comfort in seeing his baby pictures and hearing his first name. I was reminded of the humanity and the brokeness of the church itself. Even more reminded of my own brokeness. And just floored by his humility. And at 2am, also wrapped in a blanket on the couch, I had a deep realization that I needed to find forgiveness for the church (and its earthly and heavenly father) in my own heart.
Welcome, Finn, Becky, Brad and Green! Glad you found us.
Hi, Finn, I can see our Pope's passing really did touch you. Isn't it something that it takes a funeral to see a person's life for what it REALLY was. Makes you think about your own!
Hi to you, Becky, yes, we are pretty free flowing here, as you see from the former posts, people just jump in as they will and comment on what moves them. Its working for us, yet, may not be your style, sorry! Hope you can find a way to jump in if you have a comment:)
Visited your blog, Brad, looks interesting.I'll come back again!
Hi, Green, loved your comments, cool how we had the same experience, couch and all! I wonder how many other thousands found their couch to be a holy place that night? :) The experience is still with me and has broadened my "insides" tremendously! I feel a connection to your word "humility". I have felt so humble.
to becky,
I read something on "converstaions" once I'd like to share.
"Conversations are not contests nor stratigies to see how two sides bring each other along. To think of the word "I" whose predicate can be "love", "fear", or "want" and whose objective can be "someone", "something", or "anything" doesn't really matter, because the loveliness in its presence, shapes around "I" like a flame on a wick, eminating any emotion it feels. What a privilage it is to hear and feel conversation."
SWS....your words eminate "loveliness"
Thank you, Elizabeth! I do feel the same way about conversation. It is truly a gift to share. Thank you for sharing yours with me:) SWS
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