Woke up this morning to the news that the Pope is in critical condition. He had been unwell for about a week with respiratory illness. Although just 2 days ago the news was that he was getting better.
I am not Catholic. I am not sure I now believe much in organized religion. Religion is something between you and whatever God or power you believe in. Being part of an organized religious group doesn’t help you become a better person. Religion has been the source of so much conflict, suffering and pain in this world over the years. There is conflict within religious groups and between the religious groups. So many people, over the centuries, have died in the name of religion. So I can understand why John Lennon in 1973 used the phrase “imagine no religion” in his most memorable song. I wonder how much better the human race would have been if we didn’t have the various religions separating us. Well anyway that’s not going to happen anytime soon…
Still Pope Francis was the first Argentinian, in fact the first South American, to become Pope. As an institution the papacy has lasted some 2000 years. Of course not all the Popes over the years were good or did anything meaningful and in fact some were very controversial. Nevertheless the papacy must be the only institution that can claim such a long traceable lineage.
The Pope visited Singapore in September last year. I am grateful that I was invited to attend the Mass he conducted at the National Stadium. I went and it was a lovely occasion and I was happy to have been there.
daily musings 
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