The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #80021 Message #1454762
Posted By: wysiwyg
07-Apr-05 - 05:10 PM
Thread Name: BS: The Late Pope's Shoe Collection
Subject: BS: The Late Pope's Shoe Collection
Truth or nasty rumor that JP II had an Imelda tendency? We want the TRUTH!
Pope John Paul II A moment to share...
Painful and hard have been the last few weeks and days for Catholics and millions around the world no matter their religious beliefs. As Pope John Paul II faced God and destiny, fond memories come to many. Your Holiness, without a doubt, touched our mundane daily lives and changed many in more ways than one. It only took seeing him once, no matter how close or how far you were; one just couldn't walk away with nothing less than extraordinary feelings. On a Summer day outside Denver... John Paul II at a Rocky Mountain road, he too touched my life.
One day in Denver
It was 1993, as Pro-Life and Pro-Choice protesters faced police, and bursts or riots around the city emerged, some burned tires, others held signs... this, while Pope John Paul II was taking time to reflect, away from the city at a Rocky Mt. park retreat.
It was a beautiful Summer morning, blue skies all around. At a small road along the Rocky Mt. National park, there were only a handful of reporters and cameras. Maybe a pool photographer had been allowed to take pictures of the Pope as he walked the area. The rest of us were parked on the side of the highway. Barriers blocked the way... probably a mile or so from where the Pope was said to be resting, praying. Certainly, I don't remember being able to see a thing.
As the hours went by, I wonder if I really needed to be there. After all, there was no news there to cover. Frankly, I wished I was in downtown Denver where the riots were taking place. I saw reports in one of our satellite trucks... and that reporter's itch to run just wanted me to go get to that story... "What am I doing here? I thought... there's nothing happening...it is not like we can even see the Pope... "
Meanwhile, reports from pool photographers were coming out... pictures of the Pope walking during his retreat, white robe, white tennis shoes and a cane. But we were too far to see a thing.