Read at Your Own Risk

Amazing how one can get caught up in the pageantry of it all. Benedict resigns. Cardinals emerge. Silence. Secrecy. Black smoke. White smoke. New Pope. Francis picks up where Benedict left off. I mean no disrespect to the man in charge of the 1.2 billion catholics in the world as I, myself was raised a catholic, and many parts of the faith I practice. My fear is those 1.2 billion catholics will get so caught up into the crowning of this new prince that they will forget the old prince bailed out amongst corruption, scandal, abuse and down right mafia type behavior. (Anyone watch Godfather III)

I have been to Rome. I have been to the Vatican. I stood on St. Peter's square. I was not impressed. I witnessed vendors selling rosary beads, flocks of people pushing and shoving. I got on a bus and immediately went back to the hotel. I saw buildings and art worth billions of dollars, and I wondered why there were children in the world starving. History has not been kind to the popes. The Pope during World War II turned a blind eye to the millions being systematically murdered. One thousand years of popes and corruption was always one step above. Do as I say not as I do.

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit, the saints and some of the sacraments such as Baptism, and Holy Communion. I do not agree on their stand with marriage or confession. I believe abortion should be legal before the 12th week. Women should be equal to men. Priests should be allowed to marry because God knows they have lovers and even produced children. I do not believe in turning a blind eye to what has been occurring for years. And all those damn secrets. Really? There was a time in the Dark Ages when the only people allowed to read the bible were the priests. They were taught to read, while others were forbidden to read, let alone read the bible. That is why we have Lutherans, Protestants and Episcopalians today.

And then there was the money. Give money and your sins are forgiven. Give money and that marriage where you produced children can be annulled. Don't get an annulment and you are forbidden to receive communion at mass. Sin. Sin. Sin. And your sins are forgiven only if you confess them to a priest. How about confessing them to God since he is everywhere at all times. Right?

I pray the rosary. I wear a cross. I have a cross over my bed and another in the kitchen. I try to live a life filled with compassion, kindness and selflessness. I love. I hate. I laugh. I cry. I am human. There is a new pope in town, while the old pope remains behind walls. Some say, we will never see Benedict again. There is a new prince in the Vatican, and may God help him because he just signed up to take over a mess. The mess is not new. However, it was brought to light, and I hope it remains in the light and does not fall back into the Dark Ages. 

Vatican City

I was not having the best day when we arrived at Vatican City. On the tour bus, a woman accidentally knocked into me and I pulled my back out. To say the least, I felt miserable, but continued on to walk the square and take pictures of the beautiful buildings. The pope was in Mexico, so we knew there was no chance of seeing him. As I was taking pictures in the square, I was surprised there were so many vendors. These vendors ran up to me asking me to buy scares with a picture of the Vatican on them or plastic sets of rosary beads. I was horrified at the indignity of it all. This is suppose to be a holy place and it was crowded with vendors. The lines into the Vatican were long and I lost my mother and sister, which led to panic, so I boarded the bus and made my way back to the hotel. Rome is not a place a tourist wants to get lost in. I never did return to the Vatican and I cannot say, I regret it.