April 22, 2005

"they knew why they had come..."

I noticed this in Richard John Neuhaus' Rome Diary [link, April 15] :

...And then a word about those millions of people, mainly young people, who came to the funeral last Friday. I have seen several accounts, and heard worldly wise reporters, describing the "rock star" attraction of John Paul. In fact, the crowds, stretching more than three miles beyond St. Peter's, were wondrously solemn and prayerful. The Legionaries of Christ and other religious orders posted priests all along the way and there was a brisk business in confessions around the clock. One Legionary priest tells of his non-stop hearing of confessions--from five o'clock in the afternoon until six o'clock the next morning. The mayor of Rome said that not one serious crime was reported in the city during the days when millions were waiting up to 26 hours to view the body. That is hard to believe, but that is what he said.

John Paul went to the world and the world came to him, and they knew why they had come...

Is it at all surprising that trendizoid leftists are foaming at the mouth and squirting blood from their eyes? Who have they got that millions of young people would pilgrimage to see or honor? It's an interesting thing that until recently the Democrats and the left have been assuming that they are the natural party of "the young." You know, Rock the Vote, and all. Hmmm, I haven't heard much of that cackle lately. [See two photos--made me smile.]

And of course the left is "modern." (And the Pope is "old fashioned.") That's an even odder thing. "Modern" objects are being sold as antiques these days! "Modern" has many iterations; it becomes obsolete almost as often as software. Modern 1.3 was traveling to Stalin's USSR and saying "I've seen the future, and it works!" Ha ha ha.. There's a reason the history is not a popular subject on the Rive Gauche. Too many "modern" machines have been tossed into the sticker patch as rusty junk.

Do you want to live or work in a modern building? How about "post-modern?" Blehh.

Let me make a prediction. I've been reading a lot about Benedetto in the last few days. I predict that he will be every bit as exciting to the world as John Paul was. And when he dies there will be no fewer pilgrims at his funeral. (Hey, he loves cats, Mozart, traditional church music and liturgy, Christmas cookies, and books. Reading about him I can imagine becoming Catholic myself.) I suspect he's a giant.

Posted by John Weidner at April 22, 2005 10:49 PM
Weblog by John Weidner