I don’t know how to interpret anything, the Pope, sanctity and Vatican politics least of all, but it still seems interesting from several perspectives that the Pope reportly intends to hang on long enough to canonize Pius XII.
UPDATE: That won’t happen if the apparent prayers of William F. Buckley, Jr. for the Pope’s death are granted. Putting aside the new frontiers of Catholic piety Buckley seems to be exploring, I don’t see why it’s so bad if the Pope can only work 2 hours a day 3 days a week (if something like that’s the case). Why wouldn’t less hyperactivity at the summit of the Church be a plus? What’s wrong with some time out? Also, the correlation of forces seems to be shifting as Vatican II recedes and the shipwreck of modernity becomes ever more visible. What’s wrong with it shifting a bit more before the next Pope is chosen? When the new man comes in a little accumulated chaos may actually help him if a new direction is needed.
WFB Friendly with Grim Reaper
Buckley’s piece shouldn’t be all that surprising. When Reagan had been deteriorating for a few years from Alzheimer’s, Buckley wrote to the effect that one could hope that death would come to RR sooner rather than later. A few years ago, Human Life Quarterly gave a dinner, I think in WFB’s honor. There he reportedly gave a talk about how pro-life true-believers had to somehow reconcile themselves to the notion that old people, who because of modern medicine are living longer than they want to, should have a means of escape.
It’s amazing how WFB is still considered a luminary among so many culturally/socially/morally conservative people. He hasn’t merited this reputation in at least a quarter of a century.
Fast Moving
Mr. Kalb is moving so fast lately, I can’t keep up. Super. I hope other will help.