Thursday, March 31, 2005

Pope John Paul II

I read that the Pope has been given Last Rites. I'm not Catholic, but my understanding is that Last Rites are given when a person is seriously ill, not necessarily because death is imminent.

I feel an attachment to John Paul, even though, as I said, I'm not Catholic. The main reason is that he and my Dad were just days apart in age. They looked a (very) little bit alike. And as a young man, my Dad studied for the ministry. When I would see a picture of the Pope, it would make me think of Dad and that made me feel good.

John Paul is in the last days of his life. A life which has been long, full, and rich. He can look back and be proud of his achievements. He had the courage to study for the priesthood when it was criminal to do so. He was active in the Polish resistance during WWII. He stood alongside Ronald Reagan in condeming communism. He was the first non-Italian pope in centuries. A notable achievement in its own right.

Sandy Berger

President Clinton's National Security Advisor will plea guilty to a misdemeanor charge of stealing classified documents. He knowingly took the documents, put them in his pants and jacket and called it an honest mistake.

Huh? How can it be a mistake when it was a deliberate act? Maybe it was a mistake to commit the crime? And what was honest about it?

And some of the documents are still missing?

Two men....both internationally prominent.....two very different value systems.

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