Further on, yet another reporter
spoke into his microphone, decked out in a schizophrenic costume
of dress coat, white shirt and tie from the waist up, and jeans
with sneakers that would never be seen by viewers! Those who arrived
late or work with smaller companies had to squeeze in wherever
they could to get their cameras trained on Saint Peter’s
Square, some even standing precariously on top of the two-foot
wide river wall, to shoot their piece. We came to realize that
on-site coverage takes an incredible amount of frenzied preparation,
waiting, and filler, and we came away with a newfound appreciation
for the behind-the-scenes chaos and drudgery.
Local newspapers began echoing the panicked voices of authorities
questioning if Rome could hold up under the weight of such a huge
and sudden influx of people, declaring a state of emergency. Every
hotel in a 200-mile radius was booked, leaving many to sleep in
the streets. This became a reality when we stepped out our front
door in the mornings to find people sleeping in doorways, on benches,
sidewalks, and in tents on the riverbanks.
Friends who own a restaurant nearby told us they prayed none
of their dining regulars would come in because not only did they
need the space to feed the masses, but also they couldn’t
devote the normally casual and friendly service to which they
feel dedicated. They found themselves running out of food, and
their suppliers were either also out of food or were unable to
deliver due to traffic congestion.
The morning of the funeral we walked outside to take it all in.
Traffic had ground to a halt as the city was closed to vehicles.
Standing on our corner we saw only emergency vehicles and ten
flatbed trucks pass by, nine of which, carried huge loads of bottled
water. Diplomats and church leaders (including our friends Pastor
Pieter of the Methodist Church and Pastor Willie of the Scottish
Presbyterian Church) arrived at a designated site behind the basilica
at 6:30 a.m. and began being bused to Saint Peter’s where
they found no bathroom facilities available until after the funeral
finished at 2:30 p.m.
Living in Rome, less than a mile from Vatican City is, at this
moment in time, a truly remarkable experience!
Today presents a diverse, yet still anticipative scene. We hear
the helicopters perhaps once a day, the crowds have disbursed
for the moment, and merchants, restaurant owners, and civil servants
are breathing a sigh of relief as they begin recharging for the
next phase of this journey. The media’s lights are down,
generators and other equipment stored for the moment, while newscasters
turn their attention to other world events. However their scaffolding
remains standing along with the satellite dishes, poised and pointed
toward Vatican City, where they will soon observe the smokestack
of the Sistine Chapel for a white plume of smoke that will mark
the ascension to the papacy of a new pontiff.
Sequestered in the newly built quarters of Santa Marta and traveling
daily to the Sistine Chapel, which has been closed to the public
and swept for any electronic listening devices, 115 cardinals
will decide the destiny of one man as the church and world watch
and wait. Historically this required a two-thirds-plus-one vote.
If the delegation failed to secure one, meals became more and
more meager until a decision was reached! Predictions here are
that by April 22nd the smoke will burn white.
Dialogue’s direction
Until the conclave begins April 18th, coverage this week remembers
the many characteristics for which Papa Giovanni Paolo II will
be remembered, as he has been dubbed the Pilgrim Pope, or the
Great Pope, as some have called for his immediate sainthood. Meanwhile,
reporters speculate who his successor will be and what strengths
he will bring to the table. Interestingly, while some cultures
feel it improper to immediately speak critically of the deceased,
others such as the Jewish tradition eulogize as well as critique,
seeing it as authentic mourning. In that vein, both criticism
and praise have been awarded to Karol Wojtyla’s position
on interfaith dialogue.
It has been reported that the Catholic Church’s relationship
to Islam will be high on the cardinals’ list of issues as
they deliberate their choice of a new leader. There can be found
a broad spectrum of views within this College of Cardinals regarding
interfaith dialogue. Some of the cardinals are said to question
the danger that Islam’s growth poses (now second in size
only to Christianity) and whether dialogue is useful. At the same
time acknowledgement is given to the increasing secularization
of Europe. Against this backdrop controversy rages within the
Catholic Church regarding whether to take a more conciliatory
stance toward Islam, as fellow sons of Abraham, or one of greater
confrontation in efforts to convert.
Some within the Catholic Church perceive any participation in
dialogue as a sign of weakness. Likewise, a move toward integrating
Europe’s immigrants, creating a pluralistic society, is
seen as furthering secularization. Both stand as stark contrasts
to the felt urgency on the part of still others to overcome present
methods of dialoguing with only moderates in order to pursue talks
with Islamic hard-liners, as they see the change as an urgent
necessity if ever there is to be a hope for world peace.
What we see unfold before us in the next weeks will be a telling
story. Stay tuned! Many of us might feel we are solely observers
of this event, acknowledging that we not only are not Catholic,
but we have no voice in the selection of a new pope. But we will
be impacted by the selection’s outcome. Just as many in
Europe wanted wished for a vote in the U.S. presidential election
because of its tremendous impact on Europe (and the world). As
the Catholic Church membership waits in the wings to embrace its
new pontiff, the rest of the world will also be watching to see
what direction the church at large will take after this change.
We are all participants as God speaks to us through other believers,
and as we seek to intercede for the church universal.
Let us pray for the whole people of God according to their needs
during this current transitional period of papal pandemonium.
May it open the doors of peace for God’s people of every
nation.
Grace and Peace,
Terry and Michele
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
183 |
