I Papa

Not being Catholic the selection of a new Pope holds a different significance for me than it does for the world's billion+ Catholics.

Someone said to me 'why would you care?'

To which I replied 'why would you not?'

This is history being made dramatically before your eyes . . . from a current events perspective alone I am fascinated.

So fascinated that during each of the five times I have been in Rome I have secretly thought 'wouldn't it be cool if a new Pope were selected while I was here?' Of course, given that a new Pope is usually selected after the previous Pope has died I am sure that very thought has me heading straight to hell for inadvertently hastening the previous Pope to his eternal slumber.

There are a few things in the past week which have me curious ...

Many people have seen this instantly classic photo of St Peter's Basilica being hit by lightning on the day Pope Benedict resigned his office - the first Pope in 600 years to do so.

This pulls one back to a prediction made by Nostradamus who warned that the next-to-last pope would “flee Rome in December when the great comet is seen in the daytime.” Given all the changes in the calendar in the past 5 hundred years he was accurate with the date. Then there was the bolt of lightning. Oh yes, a comet has been visible in Italy for the past two weeks.

These predictions are also close to those of St. Malachy, who had a strange dream while on a visit to Rome. He “saw” all the names of the future popes – complete with identifying characteristics – who would rule the church until the end of time.

Malachy’s “Prophecy of the Popes,” as his vision is called, named Benedict XVI as the 111th – and penultimate – pope. The vision ended with the 112th pope; Pope Francis.

Speaking of eerie . . .

This guy was spotted three days before the conclave started with this banner 'Francesco, I Papa'. In an interview he declared that he wanted a Pope who would work for the poor.

A few days later the new Pope surprised everyone by taking the name of Francis and declared that he wanted a church which was for the poor.

Ohhhhh

Enough with conspiracy theories and end of the world gloom and doom . . .

look at the difference 8 years has made in technology . . .

A clear indication of the changes wrought in how we view, process, and save media. Much has changed since the onset of smartphones and iPads.

Finally, many will have seen images similar to this one circulating the internet:

Retirement? What is that?

Comments

[sandi]

Cute!
You have done a good job of tying the facts together... Coincidence???
I can only hope to retire well before my 80's!!

[JDeQ]

I know what you mean Sandi. I used to think retirement at age 55 . . . now I am not so sure. SIGH