Habemus Diem! The Other March Madness

Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the Church eagerly awaited for the cardinals to get together and decide on a day to start Conclave.

#visualpun

I heard on Catholic radio last week that with the arrival of the last cardinal elector at the end of the week, they finally decided on starting the Conclave on Tuesday March 12th.  Up until the last week, the cardinals have been having meetings among themselves to discuss whatever they discuss as well as to get a feel for who has the potential to become the next pope.  Lots of prayer too.  And tweeting and blogging, depending on the cardinal.

This is kind of a big deal!  Now is a particularly exciting time in the Catholic Church because we're about to have a new leader! 

Back in 2005, I remember when Blessed Pope John Paul II passed away, but I don't remember following Conclave that much.  I guess because I didn't really pay attention to the news, and the social media outlets we enjoy today were still a twinkle in their creators' eyes or still infantile.  For me, Cardinal Ratzinger came in like "whoosh, now I'm Pope!"  And I was all like, "oh cool!"  And that was that.

Haha but not this time! Now, with a more mature understanding of the Catholic faith, I can follow it with a better degree of appreciation.  The one thing I need to watch out for is making sure that I follow Catholic sources regarding Conclave coverage.  When I say Catholic, I don't mean "Catholic."  And I know that secular and "Catholic" media loves putting forth their bias and lack of full understanding in order to impart ideas and desires that aren't in line with what is truly Catholic.

How To Become Pope

Yeah, it's cool to think that I mostly qualify...though I do lack that whole cardinal thing, and I don't think throwing the first pitch at the next home game counts. #pun

But I mean...my dad went to high school with a recently named cardinal...maybe that's my in...

In all reality, I don't know any cardinals personally so ... don't worry--I'm not becoming the Pope.

;-)

*Updated

From Jimmy Akin, senior apologist at Catholic Answers: he points out some incorrect things in the video:

1) It wrongly implies that the pope can simply veto the name of a potential bishop that is presented to him, causing the process to start over.

In reality, the names of all three proposed bishops are presented to the pope, who may choose the recommended one, another one, select another person entirely, or call for the process to start over.

2) It wrongly refers to the "Congress of Bishops" in Rome. Actually, it's the Congregation for Bishops.

3) It wrongly states that have to pick your new name before becoming pope. Actually, this is the first thing a pope does after being elected and accepting his office.

Assuming he's already a bishop (the scenario that the video presupposes), he becomes pope that moment, before they ask him what name he wants to be called by.

4) The video wrongly states that “it’s usually at least two weeks of voting” at a conclave.

Not in recent history. In the 20th century (and 21st) no conclave has gone over 5 days. See this handy infographic:

from the Washington Post

#papabile

- JD

Clinic & Museum

Day 4 - Saturday January 27, 2013

2:26PM - January 28, 2013
On an airplane from CLI to DFW

(Ok, so I didn't really type sentences on the plane...I just made a bulleted list of what I did on Day 4)

(which brings me to...)

8:17PM - February 25, 2013
Today was our last day of major events for our Washington, DC pilgrimage.  Us group of guys who stayed at our particular host family home were quite blessed to wake up to homemade muffins of varying flavors.

So, we started out our pilgrimage getting to know each other, then we did a little bit of sightseeing of Catholic locations as well as attending the Vigil Mass for the March for Life.  All of this was to help gel our group together and prepare us to experience the Arlington National Cemetery, participate in the March for Life, and visit various memorials.  Through deepening our spirituality and appreciation for the Catholic faith the past few days of the pilgrimage, we were better able to appreciate life and death through a Catholic lens.  How precious a gift life is and how dignified death can be!

What then, is our response?  How do we take what we've gained from these experiences and put them into action?

Today we prayed in front of an abortion clinic and visited a museum.

Planned Parenthood
First thing on our schedule was to go pray in front of Planned Parenthood in DC.  I heard from one of our group leaders that this particular location usually ranks in the Top 5 for number abortions performed in the United States.  Wow.  That's...crazy to think about... since I'm used to a Planned Parenthood that isn't as busy.

Now, praying in front of abortion clinics is not a strange thing for me.  Before I further recount my experiences here at this Planned Parenthood, I must preface this by saying that while it is arguably cool that Planned Parenthood does provide other women's health services, they are not ashamed of promoting abortion.  And because some (not all) Planned Parenthood clinics do provide abortion services, that attracts folks who stand in front of clinics, praying for all involved: the women, the men, the volunteers, the  clinic workers, the doctors, the unborn babies, etc.  According to the 2011-2012 Annual Report, Planned Parenthood performed 333,964 (surgical) abortions. I can honestly say that I personally participated in two 'saves' in the past year by the simple presence of me and the group I was with...praying in front of abortion clinics: here and here.  Also, not every woman that walks into Planned Parenthood is seeking an abortion.  But, still...we pray for her health and if we're able to offer her alternatives, then we will.

Also, I must further mention that I strive to maintain an environment of peace while on the sidewalk.  40 Days For Life, a prayer campaign for life started by Fightin' Texas Aggies, made it a point that there are things that we should and shouldn't do when maintaining peaceful presence at an abortion clinic, and I definitely try to keep those in mind.  However, in my firsthand experience at the sidewalk, I find it unfortunate that some pro-life groups do not adopt such peaceful practices and exemplify the "anti-abortion protesters" stereotypes that pro-choicers love to criticize.  I assure you, dear reader of this blog post, that I do not yell Bible verses at clients or hold angry/graphic signs.  I am not yet properly equipped to provide clients with material help, so the best I can offer for now is spiritual help through prayer.

With all that said, our band of cold pilgrims approached Planned Parenthood.  However, we decided to stand across the street rather than join the groups of other people already praying directly in front of the clinic's entrance.  But one of our own went to join the group in front of the clinic.  Accompanying us on our pilgrimage was a fellow class of 2009 Fightin' Texas Aggie who works for the Coalition for Life.  I met her when she joined up with us on Day 2.  She's a trained and seasoned sidewalk counselor, so while we were off praying across the street, she was engaging clients as they walk in and out of Planned Parenthood.  Oh, and of course she talked to the volunteer escorts and other people present in front as well.

When we settled in to our spot across the street from Planned Parenthood, I couldn't help but notice this group of Dominican friars standing in front:

But, a part of me just really wanted nuns to be standing in front.  Oh well.

We were across the street praying for a good long while.  Starting out, we prayed all 20 Mysteries of the Rosary, and we finished with a Divine Mercy Chaplet.  I didn't really keep track of time, but I'm sure it was about 1.5-2 hours

In that time, lots of stuff happened.

Something I found to be intriguing were the reactions of people driving or walking by.  Mind you, this was a busy street.  Many double-takes.  Some were confused at the sight of seeing people on either side of the street in front of Planned Parenthood.  But, the reactions that weren't so nice were the ones that stick out to me, even now.  One particular gentleman wasn't particularly gentle in calling us morons, yelling out through his rolled down window.  I also remember the woman who flicked us off while she was waiting for the light to turn green.  Ooh, and then there was the guy who yelled four-letter words at us.  Of course, I understood why they were angry at us.  Perhaps, in their mind, we didn't belong there and that somehow our presence made it unsettling for them.  Whatever the case, I was not shocked by their expressions of anger.  I wasn't really bothered by it. My group just kept praying with little or no reaction to their angry words and gestures.  Someone in my group made the comment later how sometimes we in the pro-life movement are thought of as the intolerant ones.  Sure, some might be.  But in these angry moments, maybe not so much.