Habemus Papam

Today, the Roman Catholic Church chose a new Pope, the now former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, Argentina, now Pope Francis I, and a Jesuit, too. So the Catholic Church is signaling some change in choosing a New World Pope, and by choosing the name of an ascetic Saint, Pope Francis is signaling that the Church should turn its attention to social and economic justice. So this could be a good thing. I left the Catholic Church some 40 years ago, or rather, the Church left me, and I haven't really looked back since, but as the very old saying goes, once a Catholic, always a Catholic. I have been a practicing Unitarian Universalist for the past 20 years, but still maintain an interest in seeing what direction the Church takes. I think that they need to seriously consider updating to the 21st century and start doing more to involve women as well as allowing priests to marry. American Catholics seem to be quite a bit more liberal than the rest of the world. I had frankly hoped that either Cardinal Timothy Dolan or Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley would be elected Pope, but I am not sure that the Vatican is quite ready to make an American Pope just yet. Still, both of these men were considered contenders for the post, so maybe next time. One thing I find really endearing is that tomorrow, on his first full day as Pope, Francis will go to pray at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, which is filled with beautiful 5th century mosaics. I seem to remember reading about that Cathedral in a great book called "Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of this World for Crucifixion and Empire" by Rebecca Parker and Rita Nakashima Brock. That book is highly recommended and if I remember correctly, the mosaics on the front cover are the very ones from Santa Maria Maggiore. I recall studying that Cathedral in college, so I know a bit about it and think that it's a good choice for the new Pope to go pray tomorrow. So good on him. I look forward to seeing what direction this new Pope will take the Catholic Church. He does sound like a doctrinal conservative but someone who expresses concern for the poor moreso than many Popes in the past.

STILL NO NEW HOME

I'm still searching for a place to live and despairing of ever finding the place that I want to live. I'm trying to find someplace to live for at least a year, with hopes of finding something better next year, but even that is proving to be a daunting proposal. So far, I have not seen anything that I would want to live in. What they call "1 bedroom apartments" here in Kent are little more than glorified cubbyholes, smaller than most dorm rooms on campus. They are ridiculously overpriced as well, but there seems to be a premium now for the privilege of living in a college town. It makes it hard for people like me who have lived here their entire lives to find ourselves priced out of our own hometown. I do not want to leave, no matter how many people tell me that I ought to. I have lived in the same neighborhood my entire life and have no desire to leave it. This is my home, has been and I want it to remain my home. I have to hope and pray that something will come up soon, but I am also desperately afraid of ending up a 50-something homeless bag lady. Something has to happen soon, but in the meantime, I am struggling to find something that will meet my needs both physically and financially. One day at a time, one step at a time. I'll try to keep mind, body and soul together in the meantime.