Pope-mania!

With interest this white man has been observing the lavish outpourings of adulation bestowed upon the current pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI during his current visit to Australia for the World Youth Day festivities. Not being Catholic, I often muse at the 'worship' of this one man who effectively holds one of the most powerful posts in the world, the papacy. And in some way it makes me glad that there isn't really one person within Protestantism that is ever treated with the level of reverence that Pope B16 is afforded. Of more interest to me was a recent conversation I had with a young Catholic man who had some interesting and, at least for him, relevant views regarding the current state of Catholicism in his world. He reflected that generally the Catholic church was bordering on the irrelevant to young people and was so caught up in it's own traditions and rituals that it risked being cast aside by the youth of today. Honestly his observations weren't a ground-shaking revelation to me. It is a fact that the traditional established church, Catholic and Protestant, in this nation is slowly dying and this shouldn't drop anyone's jaw at all!

And this brings me back to the current WYD event in Sydney. This white man can feel cynical about many facets of Catholicism today but he also acknowledges this...that at least for a week in God's time many Catholic youth are celebrating their church and this can ultimately only be a positive thing. For if one young (or old, or whoever) Catholic renews their commitment to all things God and church as a result of this festival then something good abounds. My real hope, however is that Catholic youth see beyond the old German man in the big white robe and look to the true source of our hope and adoration. And by the way - He's not still hangly limply and lifelessly on the cross! Look into the empty tomb my Catholic friends and gain your true inspiration for your faith! Yep, that's enough preaching for now white man...