Pope Culture

Hi there!

Dave-El here and welcome to I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You.

 

 

This past week, Time Magazine named Pope Francis as its Person of the Year for 2013. Click here for the story on this selection. I think this is a very good choice.

When I first launched this blog, the big breaking story at the time was the resignation of Pope Benedict which is one of those things that just doesn't happen that often. So my 5th ever post on this blog was on March 2, 2013, under the title, How To Be Pope-ular.

In that post were headlines...

"Pope Benedict to step down" ...to spend more time with his family.

 

...and questions about what the next Pope's "pope name" would be...
 

My favorite suggestion was Pope Batman

 

...and of course, who would be the next Pope?
 

I bet Oprah Winfrey was at least in the top five.

 

And what would be the things we would miss about Pope Benedict?

On my list was his jewel encrusted "Taking Care of Business" belt.

Again, click on this link How To Be Pope-ular for all the Pope-tastic goodness of that post. 

 
As I noted in that blog post and I will repeat here:
 

I guess I should go on record to say I am not Catholic so the whole hierarchy of Pope, Cardinal, Bishops, Time Lords and the Q Continuum leaves me a bit perplexed. Suffice to say, I would not make a good Pope. I would probably lead Mass with a reciting of the Green Lantern Oath. (I would, however, at least make it in Latin.)

Over the course of the next few weeks, the matter of looking for a new pope kept popping up on my blog in various new headline features.

 

March 8, 2013 “Vatican Announces Date For Pope Election” It's quite a scandal: the Vatican’s taking the Taj Mahal to the Pope Election.

 

March 8, 2013 “U.S. Catholics Say The Church Is Out Of Touch” Church sends message of disagreement via telegram.

 

Another round of Pope Stuff appeared here including one of my favorite headline jokes.

March 9, 2013 "As conclave nears, chimney raised on Sistine Chapel" So Santa Claus can come & cast a vote if needed to break a tie.

And this blog post contained what may be my most re-tweeted tweet ever:


It's "Vengeance at the Vatican" as the #WeepingAngels are ready to attack!

On the next #DoctorWho!

The Pope continued to provide headline fodder for my blog throughout the month of March.

 March 12, 2013     “Black smoke rises from Vatican, signaling no decision on pope” OK, which son of a bitch burned the damned crepes again?

 

March 15, 2013    “Catholics Give New Pope High Ratings In New Survey” Pope Francis has a good beat you can dance to.

 

March 17, 2013    "How Pope Francis chose his name" Magic 8 Ball?

 

March 24, 2013    “'We're brothers': Pope meets ex-pope for lunch” "Hey! You took the last drumstick, Francis!" "Stop punching me, Benedict!"

 

March 27, 2013      “Pope chooses simple apartment over regal Vatican suite” It’s closer to the Vatican City Hooters.

March 31, 2013     “Pope brings new style to Easter Mass” Gangnam Style! (That punchline will NEVER get old, right? Hello? Anyone?)

Pope Francis eventually made his way into bROkEN nEWs IN pICtUREs as seen here.

 

So I've had a bit of fun with the Pope in this blog.  But in this post, I actually got serious for a moment (which is all I can really manage to pull together) on the approach Pope Francis was taking to his new role, a focus less on dogma and ideology and more on doing what Christ would have people do to help those in need. This has, believe it or not, been a bone of contention for some within the leadership of the Catholic Church with their new pope. Really, helping people? But what about gay people running around aborting babies willy nilly?  

 Pope Francis has not reversed the position of the Catholic church on the matters of homosexuality and abortion; he has said the teachings of the church in these matters are quite clear. But he's made it clear as well that he has other priorities.

 

 As I said, I am not Catholic and all my exposure to the church comes from what I see on TV and in the movies. (So all priests are not like Father Mulcahy from MASH?) My background in the Christian faith comes from the Protestant church so all the pomp and circumstance of Catholicism is beyond me. The idea that an old man in a funny hat has a hotline to God is hard to grasp. But in Pope Francis, I can believe he has a direct line to God.

It's the same one we all have when we choose to use it.

Be good to one another.