Post Papal Deathwatch

Modern media can make rockstars of us all. Last week on the twentyfour hour newst stations were a truly bizzare scene. "So far, to the best of our knowledge, the Pope remains alive..." Then, five minutes longer, same thing. Repeat for several hours until FINALLY the Vatican gives in, "The Pope is dead!" Long live the Pope! What really struck me about all the lamendation going on in Rome and elsewhere was this: don't these catholics believe this man has a wonderful reward awaiting him in his afterlife? "We're praying for the Pope to have a speedy recovery." Really? He's 85 years old with a lung and a half or so of fluid and he has to be physically miserable. I'd be well ready for my reward. But then, as far as I can tell, catholosism usually leaves you with a healthy fear of the afterlife. Now, I don't mean to beat up on one religeon more thean any other, it's just that noone does pomp and circumstance better than the Vatican. But back to my popint about making unlikely rockstars... part of the outcry seemed to be that there will never be another Pope like this one. Maybe not, but then no other Pope ever had that level of media attention, and therefore no Pope ever had that power to reach the masses before. And now superior charisma is a requirement for the position, I would imagine. It's a new standard to be met. It's the same reason, I believe, we'll dever have a deadly dull man as our president again. TV will eliminate the "Nixon" factor. Well, this will be an interesting spring, with as much religious polarization is about the world, the choice of a new Pope is going to make things, well, different. If anything, this is a real opportunity for them to create a REAL rockstar, a firebrand of charismatic piss and vinager. Or someone dull as paint. Should be interesting.