I had not thought about Pope Francis dying, until he did. The world seems definitely emptier now, without him. He championed the poor and marginalized, inclusion at the Olympics, climate change and many other issues
I went to Italy when Pope John Paul II was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. I went with my dear friend BFF who was/is a devout Catholic.
We visited Pisa, Lucca and Florence with its many Tower Houses, of which we climbed the steps to so many that I forgot I even had legs. Unfortunately I didn’t have an iPhone back then, I had my camera backpack filled with my giant heavy camera and lenses, which practically broke my already tender back. But hey, who was I to cry Uncle? Of course I took a gazillion photos, but I really only needed to take one of the rooftops, for they looked all the same. Beautiful but still the same rusty earth toned color. I couldn’t just drop my heavy camera bag, so I carried the load up and down up and down and up and down a gazillion steps, a gazillion times.
In between visits to various cities, we stopped at the little kiosks that served gelato of all different flavors, starting another obsession and my climbing number on the weight scale. No amount of stairs could counteract all the gelatos.
In Rome we went to the Coliseum and imagined the throngs of Romans cheering and booing the gladiators.
Then we went to St. Peter’s Square to see the Pope’s papal address. BFF knew what she was doing, I was just tagging along unaware of what was really happening.
She bought tickets that allowed us to sit in the designated seating areas near the front.
Once seated 10,000 people joined us in the Square. It was raining lightly and to see anything we had to look around umbrellas.
Pope John Paul II came out in his little Pope Mobile and lo and behold the rain stopped! I’m not Catholic, far from it, but I was impressed.
Once in front of the crowd on the main stage, the Pope began his Papal address. In order to get a clear picture of the Pope, I stood on my chair for just a minute. A little old woman behind me started squawking at me in Italian. “Momento, momento,” I said to her and took two more pictures. She then poked me with her umbrella and I sat down quickly. That little old lady scared the hell out of me!
I couldn’t understand a word Pope John Paul II said. He probably spoke Polish, Latin, Italian and who knew what else but I enjoyed it. Just being there in that crowd, with my dear friend.
When Pope John Paul II finished, he got back in his Pope Mobile and lo and behold the rain started up again. Giving us all a “wash.” Maybe washed us of our sins?
I waved at the old woman behind me and she waved back as we all orderly walked out of St. Peter’s Square with its 140 statues representing Catholic saints and at the base of the great steps leading to the Basilica with its two big statues of St. Peter and St. Paul, in the act of waving to the faithful.
BFF and I enjoyed the entire experience but BFF, being Catholic, enjoyed it so much more that she had named her son after the Pope, shortening it to J.P.
What’s a girl to do?…hope that Pope Francis rests in peace and that the next Pope continues Pope Francis’ good work and missions. May we all be rained upon, Catholic or not.
Lucy Llewellyn Byard welcomes comments and shares. To contact her, email lucywgtd@gmail.com
