[Prudence]

I watched lots of pope funeral coverage today. Here are my thoughts:

From the angel on one shoulder -- the Catholic Church is this amazing and enduring structure overlaid on top of shifting political boundaries. Its leader is appointed, not elected, and reigns until death or resignation. While I was watching today, I had this momentary feeling of history -- of feeling the panic just under the surface my ancestors somewhere must have felt when their leaders died -- papal or political. That's an enormous seat of power and it's empty. Will the transition be smooth? What will the next leader be like? There's anticipation, eagerness, and most clearly -- fear. The amazing shared experience of ritual is comforting as it manifests a sense of community necessary to successful transition to a new era.

The devil on the other shoulder says: Hey! That one guy carrying the coffin is super hot! At the end of the service, he was second from the feet on the pope's left. (Heck, I think the rest of them were much older.)