Desanctifying The Formerly Sacred

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN the emperor of Japan was a God, but no longer is. World War Two burst the imperial bubble, as it were, when his majesty spoke to his people at the end of the war via radio, an impressive mode of communication technologically, but very human. In an all too human manner, Hirohito explained that there was no alternative but surrender. Atomic bombs were never necessary, because the empire had been offering surrender throughout the summer of 1945, through Russian channels, and wanted only to keep His Highness on his throne, and this they were allowed to do. Today's emperor Akihito is admittedly and openly human, but old, tired, and in poor health. He wants to retire, and enjoy his final days without the burden of ceremony. He said so on television. For this to be allowed, a law will have to be changed. The Japanese seem willing to do this. If a Pope can resign to retirement, then surely so can an emperor. May his majesty Akihito enjoy his remaining time among us mere mortals in peaceful, pleasant repose. Perhaps former and still with us Pope Benedict will empathize. When the incumbent Holy Father Francis first assumed his high office, he was widely heralded by American conservatives, because among is first proclamations was a condemnation of state-ism, of national governments too oppressive, too invasive into national economies, economies such as communism. But the luster wore off quickly, as Francis revealed himself to be a proponent, if not of a state run economy, of cooperative economics in general, otherwise known as the scourge of socialism. Verily, 'tis now apparent, the Pope is himself a socialist. Going thy way, giving unto the poor, and rendering unto Caesar for that purpose is not at all unreasonable or antithetical to good economic process for Francis; American conservatives, meanwhile, have converted their initial enthusiasm into righteous free market disdain and contempt. Francis excoriates superpowers for military adventurism, and the economically powerful for avarice. He reminds us that Jesus was never a corporate spokesperson, but rather, a hard core tax and spend liberal and redistributor of wealth. Among the global corporate elite, the Papal throne has never rested upon more unholy ground, the Pope himself has never been less divine. There was a time when kings and popes were all divine right rulers, and those times have long since vanished, and it is truly miraculous what a little left wing economics can do to bring the formerly holy down to Earth, where the rest of us scramble furiously for loaves of bread.