I read that one of the reasons Charles postponed his own wedding was that many of his guests including then-Prime Minister Blair, had indicated that they would be attending the Papal funeral rites instead. That, combined with the almost universal respect and affection for JP II might have convinced Charles to attend as well.
I remember feeling rather sad for Charles/Camilla and the unfortunate timing of it all.
At the time it was THE reason Prince Charles postponed his wedding,to attend the funeral of HH Pope John Paul II..
I saw a post I want to address just very briefly,as it doesn't need more then that.Someone complained the church didn't allow her brother to marry in church.
Why would anyone want all of a group that already has all it wants?Being gay isn't anything special,being married as a gay couple,the town hall is always there and always open.But in general for gays to marry in church?Truly...a tad too far.Why?To swap their towels of the bathhouses for a white veil and pearls while cruising the vicar?..The very idea is having the effect of a drag queen race on me:laughter!Mind you,I am gay,know the chores and the way of thinking,the ins- and outs...the works,been there done that or seen it all happening.But to accept a gay relationship as equal to str8 is one thing,to have that in law is great too,it prevents the in-laws from taking it all in case of a fatality -....as happened so often in the years of the AIDS holocaust-...well as taxes are more sympha.....,we have here,but really,to walk down the aisle with all the trimmings...dear oh dear,the travesty.I see it as something to provoke,some screaming bathhouse queens who love to be pretty in pink..
It is just some who "want" that,demand that..while tapping their high heels on the pavement screaming their lungs out....The vast majority doesn't need nor want anything more then a paper from the town hall and a parking lot to continue the cruising...sorry..that's the reality in many if not most cases...some turned into little-,other into professional whiners.That's all.
No,cathedrals have seen many different events over the centuries,but will never witness this.
The present Pontiff however doesn't as much have the wrong views,no,he teaches by the official guidelines of the church,BUT...with a immensely human touch.He is Pope for
all,and
all includes gays.They are,we are,nothing special,there are tens of millions of us,everywhere,it's a every family has one sort of thing...and should be happy with them,they add some colour to life...well,most...
There's this wonderfull picture running on the web of the present Pontiff washing and kissing the feet of AIDS patients in Buenes Aires about ten years ago.An immensely human touch in a country still backward in the acceptation of these HIV/AIDS patients.I know,one of my best friends fled Argentina about 25 years ago because of the stigma of him having HIV...He later developed AIDS,and 12 years ago decided to go home,to his mom,and Jorge died in Buenes Aires,But I tell you,he too would have been so overjoyed and proud to see this man on top of the church today.A total new approach,back to the roots,no interference with wordly matters ,changes...little by little...It is a new age,a new dawn a new elan,and as the Pontiff said yesterday;"We have to build up the Church all over again,from the beginning,no more hiding by the church".These words hold so many changes,let us wait and grant this man the time and respect due to a great reformer which no doubt he will turn out to be.Let us rest the differences and look ahead in a broader sense,broader then a small human mind sometimes...or too often...does.He deserves that.We deserve that.