I Am The Pope

Never Fear

2005-04-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

It was only my body that died.

Public Appearances, Faux-Pas and DVD!

2005-02-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

I am not looking too bad after all.
Photo

You never can tell when you are looking in the mirror but I saw this photo in a few papers today and I am pretty pleased. I was a good looking guy in my younger days but I am under no illusions now. My celibacy has grown to be the natural state of things instead of a vow made in faith. But I don't mind about how I look really. I was just glad to go say hello to everyone yesterday.

Cardinal Sandri is a good guy and a real old friend so when I feared I wasn't able to make my speech he was the first person I thought of. He is a lot of fun. He collects fancy paper but I am not meant to tell you that. :)

He was joking about throwing my speech away and instead reading out one of the secret limericks written by Jesus' cousin, James that is stored in the Vatican Library. James wrote one hilarious one about a song that Jesus wrote one night that had the whole of the Apostles in stiches but as Sanrdi and I were enjoying a good giggle, Ratzie coughed. He had been standing behind us the whole time!

So, if you saw the news footage and thought I looked like I was smiling a little too much, it was because there is nothing funnier than poor old Ratzie when his cheeks turn beetroot and he goes on about "Protecting the heritage... tradition.... sacred... yadda yadda yadda..."

I got a gift today. The complete first series of CSI:Miami from the Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch Maksim. That was a total surprise. I wish it got here while I was still in hospital but I look forward to all the special features tonight.

I have to head off for prayers. May the Peace of Our Lord Jesus be with you all!

Free At Last

2005-02-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

Ahh. It sure does feel good to be free from the constraints of a hospital bed. Hey, don't get me wrong! I loved the nurses in Gemelli Polyclinic and they sure know how to make a guy feel at home, even an ailing Pope. But there is nothing like your own bed and your own bathroom and, if I can reveal a secret, your own train-set, to put a man at ease.

I was a bit worried coming home because Ratzie was on his own for nearly two weeks and you know what he can end up doing. Fortunately he hadn't tried to rename the moons of Jupiter after saints or employed a clown to throw cream pies at the head of the Lutheran church in Germany. He behaved himself and received visitors in my absence and he also cleaned the apartment up before I came home. I love Ratzie. I try to love all people as unique instantiations of the incarnated Christ but I really love Ratzie like a brother. But when he's constantly leaving his stuff around the place and never washing up after himself, even my patience is tried.

But there were no pizza boxes or messages from Fatima strewn around the coffee table and for that, along with many many things given to us solely by the grace of God, I can be thankful tonight.

Now, please forgive me, my children, but there is a train set that needs attention!

This made me laugh when Cardinal Soldano brought it over on his new i-book on Monday.

The First Of Many

2005-02-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

My Children.

May God bless you all.

That's it for today. (I'll have to think about what I want to say in future.)