Enquiring minds want to know...
Apr. 7th, 2005 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matilda36Here in Italy we have a very useful thing, called "Protezione Civile". It is basically a Disaster recovery planning and prevention Service. Its work is mostly focused on preventing environmental and natural disasters and works together with environmental associations and voluntaries to ensure a prompt response should it be needed.
One of the services that they provide is text messages updating Italians if and when something happens. Over the last week, my mobile phone has been spammed with messages urging people to stay at home and watch the extensive coverage on television, instead of going to Rome to "pay homage" to the dead Pope.
Rome is apparently in a state of complete chaos (or more chaos than usual, one could say) and this is something for a city used to host rallies of millions.
Leaving aside the blame game (I leave this to Italian politicians and the Vatican), I have a question: How and why these moments of collective hysteria, in which the only thing that count is to be there, like for Princess D or now the Pope, happens?
If you are a religious person and you want to pray for the Pope, God is everywhere, so he will listen to you wherever you are: in a church, in Rome, in Saint Peter, in your own home...and any homage you want the Pope to receive will surely work through the same channels.
It's not our inner megalomaniac instead that wants us to be THERE, so we can say we made history, when in reality we are only making numbers? Or numbers are what makes history? I have a mulderesque mind, so I think that the Cardinals closed off from the 18 April are the only number who will make history, but things like that make me think.
Who/what makes history? How would I like to make history? Am I spending too much time thinking?
One of the services that they provide is text messages updating Italians if and when something happens. Over the last week, my mobile phone has been spammed with messages urging people to stay at home and watch the extensive coverage on television, instead of going to Rome to "pay homage" to the dead Pope.
Rome is apparently in a state of complete chaos (or more chaos than usual, one could say) and this is something for a city used to host rallies of millions.
Leaving aside the blame game (I leave this to Italian politicians and the Vatican), I have a question: How and why these moments of collective hysteria, in which the only thing that count is to be there, like for Princess D or now the Pope, happens?
If you are a religious person and you want to pray for the Pope, God is everywhere, so he will listen to you wherever you are: in a church, in Rome, in Saint Peter, in your own home...and any homage you want the Pope to receive will surely work through the same channels.
It's not our inner megalomaniac instead that wants us to be THERE, so we can say we made history, when in reality we are only making numbers? Or numbers are what makes history? I have a mulderesque mind, so I think that the Cardinals closed off from the 18 April are the only number who will make history, but things like that make me think.
Who/what makes history? How would I like to make history? Am I spending too much time thinking?
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no subject
Date: 2005-04-07 12:32 pm (UTC)For others, I am sure it's much more. Some people really admired the man, and wanted to actually see him and give their respects to him. Sadly, more people should do this when a person is alive, not when they are dead. But I can't deny that it's important and deeply moving for some people while at the same time I am sure others don't hold that sentiment.
Me? I am troubled by anything that has too much pomp and circumstance. With government, I think it's pretentious. And with the Church? Aren't Christians supposed to be humbled before God? All of this ceremony bothers me. I can't imagine what it must be like over at the Vatican right now.