The Pope's Speech

EACH YEAR THE POPE give a speech to tens of thousands of people on New Years. It would be quite an adventure to be there, but how would you hear it, if you weren't right up front? Does he speak into an enormous speaker system? The Pope did two things that are vital, and admirable: he told the truth about the state of the world, without trying to make it sound better or worse than it is, and, he expressed hope for the future. Without hope for the future, there is no reason for the present. Pope Francis is obviously extermely frustrated and angry about the high level of violence in the world, like most of us are. Anger and frustration are two sources of violence. It was almost as if he was saying "good grief, people, Can't we all just get along"? Amen. Another overwhelming impression that its tempting to come away with is that the Pope is an extremely good person, down deep, where it matters. And that, of course, seems logical. Every pope in my lifetime, starting with John 23 and Paul 6, and on to Francis, has seems like such a person; caring, compassionate. there is a bittersweet memory of the gentle Pope John Paul 1, who never really had a chance to work his goodness upon us. You suspect heaven is where we'll see him again. The pope believes that folks should pretty much have the freedom to do with their money as they please, but also that there should not be two economic classes, rich, poor, wolves, sheep. With good role models like Pope Franics and Jesus, we should be able to do the one, and to avoid the other.