Since our recent trip to London and couple of additions to my wardrobe, J has been wondering about the recent inclusion of a pair of Birkenstocks, which he assures me belong only on the Via Dolorosa on the bottom of a pair of stout and probably hairy legs.
So I was delighted to be able to attend, in the very same footwear, a huge gathering in Manger Square in Bethlehem, to receive the Pope, where my Birkenstocks were as at home as the man himself. And practical too, may I add, considering we spent the entire morning standing in the late May sun, while he conducted a mass for an enraptured crowd of Arab Christians, a dwindling demographic in these troubled times.
It was heavy, but I was glad I took my long camera lens. It paid off.
There must have been hundreds of nationalities there, with a strong Argentinian contingent, where Pope Francis is originally from. After we had managed to muscle into the front of one of the enclosures, after an hour's wait, the little white Popemobile drew into the square, reminiscent of Peppa Pig's I thought, only in white. Just one look at that 77 year old face, and you know you're looking at an exemplary human. And the crowd told him so, with all their might.
The square rang with singing and cheering, and he conducted a mass in Italian and Arabic. We each had a programme of the service and I was interested to see that Arabic music scores also work backwards which was bit of a head bender, but perhaps another good exercise to avert the onset of Alzheimer's.
He has received very good press from the Arab side, since he took care to visit Palestinian sites first - including the separation wall where he prayed. And one of the Arab newspapers wrote a delighted piece about his discussion with Netanyahu about whether Jesus would have spoken Hebrew or Aramaic. Bibi (Netanyahu) argued Hebrew, of course. Pope Francis begged to differ, and told him so.
Just as the choir belted out the Cantus Finalis with some Arabic hued Alleluliahs, the muezzin at the Mosque of Omar, opposite the Nativity Church at the other side of the square, began the call to prayer and the air was filled with a marvellous, though hardly melodious, melange of sounds of devotion, which of all places in the world, felt exactly how it should be.
And I would say, that 'Abouna' (literally: our Father) as Pope Francis is known in Arabic by Muslims and Christians alike, has probably done more for peace in this region than anyone in politics over the last few years.
It was a great privilege to see the man, and to get a good look at that humble face, which positively shines with moderation and grace.
So I was delighted to be able to attend, in the very same footwear, a huge gathering in Manger Square in Bethlehem, to receive the Pope, where my Birkenstocks were as at home as the man himself. And practical too, may I add, considering we spent the entire morning standing in the late May sun, while he conducted a mass for an enraptured crowd of Arab Christians, a dwindling demographic in these troubled times.
It was heavy, but I was glad I took my long camera lens. It paid off.
There must have been hundreds of nationalities there, with a strong Argentinian contingent, where Pope Francis is originally from. After we had managed to muscle into the front of one of the enclosures, after an hour's wait, the little white Popemobile drew into the square, reminiscent of Peppa Pig's I thought, only in white. Just one look at that 77 year old face, and you know you're looking at an exemplary human. And the crowd told him so, with all their might.
The square rang with singing and cheering, and he conducted a mass in Italian and Arabic. We each had a programme of the service and I was interested to see that Arabic music scores also work backwards which was bit of a head bender, but perhaps another good exercise to avert the onset of Alzheimer's.
He has received very good press from the Arab side, since he took care to visit Palestinian sites first - including the separation wall where he prayed. And one of the Arab newspapers wrote a delighted piece about his discussion with Netanyahu about whether Jesus would have spoken Hebrew or Aramaic. Bibi (Netanyahu) argued Hebrew, of course. Pope Francis begged to differ, and told him so.
Just as the choir belted out the Cantus Finalis with some Arabic hued Alleluliahs, the muezzin at the Mosque of Omar, opposite the Nativity Church at the other side of the square, began the call to prayer and the air was filled with a marvellous, though hardly melodious, melange of sounds of devotion, which of all places in the world, felt exactly how it should be.
And I would say, that 'Abouna' (literally: our Father) as Pope Francis is known in Arabic by Muslims and Christians alike, has probably done more for peace in this region than anyone in politics over the last few years.
It was a great privilege to see the man, and to get a good look at that humble face, which positively shines with moderation and grace.
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