Sunday, March 17, 2013

A Room of My Own: A Day in Her Shadowy Life

For the New Pope


Earlier this morning, hundreds of thousands flooded St. Peter's Square, forming crescent-moon crowds around giant video screens. Basking in an emotional send-off at his final general audience, Pope Benedict XVI stressed, "Loving the church also means having the courage to take difficult and anguished choices, ..."

With an emotionless look on her face, Mary stared at the TV screen in her rented attic room. As a white cloud of doves ascends into the sky and circles the square, cries of “Viva il Papa!” burst from the crowds.

did you weep
when I was abused?

she asks
with trembling hands...
wooden Jesus on the wall


Notes:

1 “Viva il Papa!” means "Long live the Pope!"

2 According to the New Testament, Jesus cried three times, and "Jesus wept" is the shortest verse. It is found in John's narrative of the death of Lazarus, a follower of Jesus.

3 comments:

  1. Listen to Two DemocracyNow! relevant episodes:

    I "Mea Maxima Culpa": New Doc Exposes Horror of Catholic Child Sex Abuser and Heroism of His Victims

    http://www.democracynow.org/2012/11/13/mea_maxima_culpa_new_doc_exposes

    II After Pope Benedict, Progressive Catholics and Priest Victims Call for a More Inclusive Papacy

    http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/12/after_pope_benedict_progressive_catholics_and

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Chen ou Liu this is so important and written with such emotion for me the reader beautiful you b :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Many thanks for your encouraging comment.

    Chen-ou

    ReplyDelete