Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
– John Donne
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8 Responses
So, you’ve heard.
Guilgud read this at Olivier’s funeral. It really came through.
My condolences for Pope Francis.
I think he was a good man who tried to do his best to help others given his circumstances and the limitations those imposed, and within those boundaries, I think he tried to ease people’s burdens as much as he could.
I also think that in many ways, he perfectly embodied the highest aspirations and expectations that we have for Christians and Christianity at large, which is not perfection but humanity, which requires people to maintain a degree of self-awareness and humility. We got to a point where we took those qualities for granted in Pope Francis, but we should not lose sight of just how common it is for people to lose sight of themselves when caught within the trappings of worldly power and influence.
I’m sorry for your loss. He will be missed.
May he rest in peace.
Now asking for his prayers. Our loss is heaven’s gain.
As someone who identifies as a Traditionalist (albeit a deeply isolated and disillusioned one) and a devotee of the Latin Mass, there were obviously some areas in which the late Holy Father and I were not on the same page – to say the least. However, as member of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, I can only marvel at how generous he was to our little niche outfit, despite the fact that we, too, were not always his allies.
Having wondered many times what I would think when this day finally came, what I can say now is this: I pray for the repose of his soul, I pray that the good parts of his legacy will endure for all time (including his ability to rankle the ideologues of both the Right and the Left, which has essentially become my mission in life), and I pray that what happened to me when Benedict resigned and Francis was elected – namely, my whole Catholic world getting turned upside-down and me falling prey to some exceedingly toxic influences whose poison I’ve been trying to purge ever since – will NOT happen to those on the other side of the aisle when the next conclave makes its choice. (Schadenfreude is an incredibly tempting thing, but it’s fatal to the soul.)
My heart is heavy for our loss, but I am so happy for Francis! What a beautiful soul! He was the best of fathers.His joy and peace in heaven is truly something to celebrate. He fought the good fight to the end and won the race.
My son Lucas was there in the square at the Vatican and received that final blessing from Pope Francis. He said that it was difficult to see him suffering like that. I’m sure the Easter of 2025 will be a day he will never forget.
> and I pray that what happened to me when Benedict resigned and Francis was elected – namely, my whole Catholic world getting turned upside-down and me falling prey to some exceedingly toxic influences whose poison I’ve been trying to purge ever since – will NOT happen to those on the other side of the aisle when the next conclave makes its choice
I myself fell prey to those toxic influences, but a few decades before, during JPII, and that made me despise my own bishop … which was Jorge Bergoglio (I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina). I was rather dubious when he got elected, but by that time I was already purging that poison, and I ended becoming a very enthusiastic Francis fan. I’m quite sad now, and a little apprehensive. Your prayer is very pertinent. Thanks.
Happy to be of service!