7 Quick Takes
For the other quick takes, go to Jennifer Fulwiler's www.conversiondiary.com.
1) HABEMUS PAPAM!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to write about my interest in the conclave, but the time for that post has passed. I even had a title ready: “I Got a Fevah!” Next time...
I had no clue that Cardinal Jorge Brogoglio was a serious candidate; actually, that was the first I heard of him. So far, he looks like a simple, humble, holy man. I’m excited for his pontificate, and I can’t wait to “get to know him” through his writings, etc. His gesture of asking the prayers of the crowd at St. Peter’s Square—beautiful. And from everything I’ve read? Utterly genuine.
2) Thank you to Catholic bloggers! I realized the other day how much I enjoyed frequenting them. Thank you to Rocco Palmo @ Whispers in the Loggia, Fr. Z @ What Does the Prayer Really Say, Robert Moynihan @ the Moynihan Letters, John Thavis @ Decoding the Vatican, John Allen Jr. @ the National Schismatic Reporter (shout out to Fr. Z), and anything that George Weigel writes. Thanks also to FOCUS for doing the white smoke text alert—although my older sister beat them to the punch. Good quality Catholicism from good quality writers. Keep up the good work!
3) It’s an interesting time in western Oregon; we not only have a new pope but also a new archbishop. What will the church look like in 5 years, when both have had time working in their respective positions?
4) Hearing of the happenings in Rome reminds me of two trips there. The first was in 2004, I think, when I went for two weeks and stayed at the Pontifical North American College (the NAC). I was a seminarian at the time, treated wonderfully by my hosts, some of my then-diocesan brothers at the NAC. The things I saw! Being a history major deepened my appreciation, and I was lucky enough to have taken a history of art class the semester immediately prior to the trip.
Walking into St. Peter’s Basilica was breathtaking (literally). The Pietá truly is a masterpiece; I kept looking at it, thinking I’d catch Our Lady turning her head or caressing her Son’s hair. The four major basilicas were awesome—and to think, these were the burial places of St. Peter! St. Paul! On my second trip to Rome, I was part of a World Youth Day group going to Cologne in 2005. The tour began in Rome, and one of the big highlights was having Mass in one of the catacombs.
The greatest gift from that whole trip was experiencing the universality of the Catholic Church—presently, with pilgrims from every corner of the world in Cologne; past and future, seeing the tombs of saints and martyrs, knowing they were in heaven praying for us. And the capstone: seeing the pope and St. Peter’s, the touchstone of unity in the Church.
5) I’ve been watching the History Channel’s Bible show. I’ve enjoyed it! Honestly, I didn’t think I would. I felt obligated to watch it at first—how can you say ‘No’ to the Bible??? Once my wife and I started watching it, however, we didn’t want it to end. I appreciate seeing the biblical figures as real people. I’m always wary of a secular channel doing a project like this; effectively, they’re telling the story of the Bible with their own reflections. Skip this, show this, make a connection there with this figure that wasn’t explicit in the text (but doesn’t contradict the text), etc. I’m excited and nervous for the New Testament. And I wonder... are they going Catholic or Protestant? That is, those books that are the “apocryphal books” to Protestants and conversely part of the Old Testament canon to Catholics. The Maccabees’ revolt would be a neat thing to see!
6) Happy St. Patrick's Day! Let's not forget amidst the beer drinking and music that St. Patrick was a devoted and zealous pastor. He loved his people and loved the Lord even more.
7) Go Dodgers! (author deflects responsibility for lazy quick take to braindeadedness)
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