I'm Back

I guess my blog hiatus is over today; Papa's funeral was at 10 o'clock Roman time, 4 o'clock Eastern United States time. I stayed up to watch it, of course! It would have perhaps been wiser to go to bed early and then get up for the Mass. Anyway, the Mass was incredibly moving. I kept flipping between Fox News and MSNBC; MSNBC had Archbishop John Foley, who has a "social communications" position in the Vatican, doing translations, so his were much better than the start-stop translation provided by Fox. However, MSNBC, I believe, had the insufferable Chris Matthews as a commentator, and at any rate, everyone on that channel kept talking over the Sistine Choir. So I mostly kept it to Fox.

The Sistine Choir, by the way, was lovely. I still have the "Credo, Credo, Aaaaaamen," stuck in my head. The Litany of the Saints was also sung very hauntingly. Cardinal Ratzinger - always my favorite - was singing the Requiem Mass; his homily was beautiful - he talked about John Paul looking down from the Father's window and blessing the crowds gathered.

Speaking of which, I have never seen such a huge mass of people! Shepard Smith on Fox also noted that about 2 billion people were watching on TV, which made it the most watched television event in history.

I was pretty good about keeping my cool all through the liturgy. But at the end, when the pallbearers held the coffin up a bit diagonally so that all the people could see it for one last time before they carried it into the Basilica, I just sort of went all sobby. Not just weepy, but total sobby! The choir was singing so beautifully just then, and it really is good-bye forever ... Well, good-bye until the Resurrection, I guess. I saw some bishops waving good-bye to the Holy Father as he entered St. Peter's basilica for the last time.

The good news is that, first, John Paul is almost certainly in Heaven and we can ask him to pray for us at the throne of Our Lord. Some of the people in the crowd were carrying signs that said, "Santo Subito!" Which means, "Make him a saint!" Of course, recorded and confirmed miracles are required as proof of intercession before a saint can be cannonized; and a saint can't intercede for us if we don't ask! So from now on, when you are in need, be sure to include in your prayers, "John Paul, please pray for me and ask God to help me."

The other good news is that I think I am "better" now. A funeral always provides closure, I think, and that little "sobby" period got everything out, lol. I will never forget the Holy Father, though. He was a wonderful Christian, and a father to me, as well.