Top of the morning from a pleasantly wet Cape Town. Going to work this week has been insanely tough. A couple of evenings this week the sweet sound of rain drops falling on my roof have sent me to la-la land, only to wake up to the same sounds, thinking do I have to?? Cant I just lie here and watch telly?

What makes you happy? This was a question asked to me by a young lady called Thashnee earlier this week. To many it’s a simple question but for some reason I had no answer to that question. It wasn’t a question that I had spent a lot of time pondering over…I was stumped. That reaction had me slightly perplexed (eish a grand word ne?). It had me thinking I was a bit odd, I set about to ask a few of my friends that same question, fortunately for me their reaction was very similar to mine, so at least I realized that I was not that abnormal. Anyway throughout the week I have been thinking about it and a lot of the things that make me happy have to do with other people, friends…family…things like I dig going to visit my aunt and uncle who tried to have a kid like forever and about 5 yrs ago they were blessed with this young stud, spoilt as all hell, but seeing the 3 of them honestly brings a smile to my face even though my aunt thinks I may be gay cos she has never seen me with a girl since they saw June and I together at church many moons ago. I could name a couple of other little things that I thought of but some may think its confirmation of my aunts thoughts. What makes u happy? Does it matter to know these sort of thing? On second thought I actually don’t know why I am telling u guys this other than the fact that I found it quite profound and u guys know how much I like sharing my life with you guys ;-).

Moving onto what I was gonna discuss this week. THE POPE… what is it about this man that has hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the Vatican to pay their last respects? What is it about this man that has hundreds of thousands of people all over the world shedding a tear as a result of his death? What is it about this man that has all the top news stations in the world covering his death and the selection of his successor for hours…days…Who is this person who’s funeral can result in the president of the USA and the president of Iran gathering in one room and no bombs go off? Who’s funeral can actually result in the Prince of Wales postponing his wedding?

Yip that’s right its that man called the pope. And for those of us who don’t know a new pope has been elected. The other Cardinals have voted the German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the supreme pontiff, the servant of the servants of God, the vicar of Christ, the successor of Peter, bishop of Rome, patriach of the West…these are some of the titles by which the pope has been referred in days gone by.

So who is the pope? Why the big who hah about the next pope and the black smoke and the white smoke? To start off with the word pope is the English version of the Italian Papa meaning father, which is very apt because the pope is the spiritual father of the Roman Catholic family. Popes take this term father very seriously hence why being a pope is a life sentence…a position they hold to their death and logically this makes sense, their thinking is a father of a family cant just sommer lay down that burden because he is tired of carrying it.

To be a pope u have to be an intellectual, a politician, a pastor, media superstar (as has been demonstrated by the late pope, even in death) and a fortune 500 CEO. The pope has to oversee what is seen by many as the oldest diplomatic core on earth…the Catholic Church.

Prior to 20 September 1870, the pope was the political leader, a monarch who ruled over the middle third of ItalyHe has to mediate conflicts, protect the interests of the church all over the world in particular in turbulent/strife-riddled areas. The pope has to manage personnel such as his cardinals. He has to manage the financial resources of an enormous multinational religious organization. The pope is expected to make decisions; if he isn’t too decisive he is seen as not giving a hoot, if he is excessively decisive is accused of meddling. If he shies from publicity he is said to be weak if he commands it he is seen as an egomaniac.

The pope rules over a religion whose members are in excess of 1 billion. If I am not mistaken the US president, who is seen by many as the most powerful person in the world doesn’t have that many ‘subjects’. The pope has the burden of all the demands placed on world leaders such as presidents and the UN secretary general and on top of that being the pope he has to be immaculately holy. Presidents will be allowed to get away with cigar episodes but the pope….hell no!!

The pope is priest, a man sent forth to prepare all Catholics for communion with God in the afterlife. A man sent to provide spiritual guidance, preach the word of God. In the eyes of Catholics he is Gods right hand man, holiness and divinity personified. The joy, the sorrow, the progress, the all of the Catholic faith is a burden that is borne by him till his end!

Birthdays

21st Thashnee
24th Tasneem

Much joy and glee on these ur birthdays, may the year ahead bring u all u wish for and be all u make it!!

Other than that big love and maximum respect to the masses

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