quote: At a traditional Holy Thursday mass, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, a papal confidant, told a congregation, "We want to thank him for the witness he continues to give us, through his example of serene abandonment to God, which he links to the mystery of the cross."
The phrase "serene abandonment" means putting one's self in God's hands at a difficult time, said Jeremy Driscoll, professor of theology at Rome's University of Sant' Anselmo. "We all know that the pope is sick and near death," he said.
I'm no longer Catholic, and part of the reason for my leaving the church was things that the pope has declared over the years.
But I still honor him as a holy man who is a builder and a force for good in the world. I'm praying for him and the Catholic Church at this time and while it seems like hope for a full recovery is not logical, I can at least hope that his current suffering is relieved.
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I disagree with him on a few things, but I think of him as a good person, who has some beliefs I don't share. I've read his life's story, and he has led a pretty unbelievable life--aside from being pope. I also had the opportunity to see and hear him preach when he visited Miami in 1988 or so. He was an amazingly charismatic man (and I mean that in the normal sense of the word, not the new-age religious sense) with a powerful presence, a gift for words in a variety of languages, and a warm sense of humor. I wish him well also.
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