Simon Mol

African Pope

The Cardinals have spoken and we have a new Pope. Tough to tell if a better choice could have been made. If I were one of the Cardinals voting for a new Pope, perhaps my vote would have been for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as well for one good reason; he comes from a country that opposes the use of force in resolving conflicts. Perhaps this was among the factors that influenced his victory?

Of the different comments about the election of Pope Benedict XVI in the Polish media, I was abashed by the statement of Artur Pruzinski published in Metropol of April 20 (Page 17); ‘It’s a good choice. I am happy that a ‘black-skin’ wasn’t chosen, because there would have been speculations about the end of the world’.

Poland: Spiritual Funeral for John Paul II

By Simon Mol

Poland has declared two weeks of mourning to mark the passing away of its holy son Pope John Paul II. Though he is lying in state at the Vatican, in Poland it is obvious that his spiritual funeral is being held across the nation.

Some 200,000 people from around Poland and the world gather at Pilsudski Square in the center of Warsaw for the ecumenical service in memory of Pope John Paul II, which was celebrated by Primate of Poland Jozef Glemp, with the assistance of 250 priests.(AFP/Janek Skarzynski)

Stand-Still Moment: Poland Mourns the Death of its Greatest Son

By Simon Mol

We saw the flaming Hand of God descend on St. Peter’s Square to lead home His Son… who became Our Father; Suwe’lele (farewell)Pope John Paul II

Mourners stand outside a packed church in Warsaw to pay their respects to the Pope

Perhaps it is the best way to put it. How else to describe the egress of a man who rose from ashes to inflame inspirations and reconciliations across a world described by English novelist Marie Corellie as ‘The Sorrowful Star’?