Happy Easter Monday!
Even though the Dow Jones industrial Average lost another 970 points today due to the President’s spite and mal-administration!
At my church we had a great Holy Week, and our Easter worship was fantastic!
But now the Captain is worn out and has declared this week a week of vacation!
A time to get away and recharge my energy.
But then, on this Easter Monday, the Captain (and the world) awoke to the news:
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church.”
-Cardinal Kevin Farrell, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta
We all knew it was just a matter of time.
Pope Francis has suffered chronic breathing problems for most of his life, stemming from pneumonia as a young man that resulted in the removal of part of his right lung. On February 14th of this year, at age 88, he was admitted to the hospital with respiratory issues and remained in critical condition for more than a month.
Pope Francis has been one of my favorite Bishops, even though yer Captain is not Roman Catholic. I just have great respect for the office of the Pope.
I suppose Francis was an obvious choice for favorite though, especially considering who he followed.
CAPTAIN'S NOTE: My other favorite was Pope John Paul II, who I got to see in person (along with 100,000 of my closest friends) when he visited Los Angeles in 1987.
The first Latin-American Pope and the first Jesuit elected to lead the Church, Francis made an impression on the Captain (and the world) during his 12-year tenure.
Elected with a mandate to reform the bureaucracy and finances of the Vatican, he shook up the church on many fronts.
Following in the humble footsteps of his namesake, he lived in the Vatican hotel instead of the Apostolic Palace.
He wore his orthotic shoes instead of the red slippers of the papacy.
He rode in compact cars instead of the papal limousine.
He believed the Church should be a refuge for everyone.
-He expanded the role of women in the Church.
-He made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment.
-He allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions.
-He decreed that priests should bless same-sex couples.
-He refused to judge a gay priest, saying, “Who am I to judge?” and declared “Being homosexual is not a crime.”
-He gave priests wiggle room for dealing with gay and divorced parishioners.
-He changed the church’s position on the death penalty, and declared the very possession of nuclear weapons to be “immoral”.
-He apologized to Indigenous peoples for the crimes of the Church from colonial times forward, and publicly reached out to the marginalized.
-And, most relevant, after visiting Mexico in 2016 the Pope said of then-presidential candidate Trumpf, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.”
CAPTAIN’S NOTE: The later-elected President’s visit to the Vatican in 2017 did not go swimmingly either!
Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo noted the Pope’s guiding principles were the Beatitudes, “Because they were the basis of Jesus Christ’s own program.”
There is much good to say about Pope Francis, and much of it will be said in the days to come. No need to repeat it here.
However, for all he did do, he didn’t move the needle significantly. Women were not ordained and the LGBT+ community was never officially welcomed into the Church.
In a major misstep, in 2018 he discredited Chilean abuse victims, choosing to stand by the Bishop linked to their abuser. To his credit, he later realized his error and invited the victims to the Vatican to personally apologize.
And he furthermore demanded that all the leadership of the Chilean Church to resign.
Yer Captain reckons that like most people, Pope Francis was human.
But he seemed to be more in touch with the teachings of Christ than most.
He seemed to be sincere.
A life of humility.
Even as the Supreme Pontiff, he demonstrated the love of Christ in all things.
That is sorely lacking today.
And for that he will be missed.
Former President Joe Biden, a faithful Roman Catholic, released a beautiful eulogy for Pope Francis this morning.
The current President also made a brief statement this morning:
“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
CAPTAIN'S NOTE: Odds are good he didn't write this.
Why would I say that? Because it seems odd and disingenuous considering the current President’s remarks in the Easter greeting he posted yesterday:
"We look forward to being there!"
There will be many articles written and hours of video created about the Pontiff and how he has shaped the church and the world.
I encourage you to pay attention.
Soon the Conclave will be gathering to discern and elect the next Pope. Without a doubt, this will be a vitally important election.
But here is what this blog post is really about.
Vice President Vance (a fairly recent convert to Catholicism – he did it to appease his wife… because he has no core convictions of his own) and his family shared in a mass at the Vatican on Good Friday.
Yes, all-expenses-paid by the taxpayers of the United States.
The same people who are now being screwed over by the Department of Government Efficiency.
CAPTAIN’S NOTE: Have I mentioned the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped another 970 points today?
Vance then received a cordial welcome from Vatican officials - the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, in the Apostolic Palace - who apologized that the Pope was not well enough to see him.
“There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners,” the statement said. “Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged.”
Later, Cardinal Parolin would add:
“It is clear that the approach of the current U.S. administration is very different from what we are used to and, especially in the West, from what we have relied on for many years,” Parolin told La Repubblica daily on the eve of Vance’s visit.
As the U.S.pushes to end war in Ukraine, Parolin reaffirmed Kyiv’s right to its territorial integrity and insisted that any peace deal must not be “imposed” on Ukraine but “is built patiently, day by day, with dialogue and mutual respect.”
In short, Vance was scolded... in the most humble and polite way possible.
Now, mates, yer Captain doesn’t know exactly what transpired after that, but the Pope did finally agree to meet briefly with the Vice President before greeting the masses of faithful, who had gathered for Easter, with a simple “Buonasera!”
For the last time.
He was weak, but couldn't let down the people.
I can’t say for sure what transpired at the meeting between the Pope and the VP, but in yer Captain’s mind here’s what happened:
Vance: What an honor it is for you to meet me, Holiness! … I mean, meet with me, of course.
Pope: (scowls) Young man, I don’t know who you are; they tell me you are someone important. From America. Meh. But I want you to know I am an old man and I am dying. And I have a message for your President.
Vance: Yes, Holiness, what wonderful blessing can I convey back to our most wonderful and holy... the smartest and bravest and greatest president ever... President Trumpf?
Pope: (gasping for breath) Please lean in closer. I don’t have much breath left.
(Vance leans closer to the humble servant of the Lord.)
Pope: (breathing strained) Tell Donald Trump he’s a son-of-a-bitch.
