Even though I’m not a Catholic I mourn the death of Pope John Paul II. I feel that in the end his legacy will be that of a paradox. He fought against communism yet he was resistent to church reform.

His criticism of such dictators as Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Ferdinand Marcos in the Phillippines encouraged opposition movements that eventually brought down those corrupt governments. The Pope’s support of the Solidarity movement in Poland was key in bringing an end to communism in the region he once called home. He was also the first Pope to visit a synagogue and the first to visit the Memorial at Auschwitz.

All in all, I have no idea who will be named Pope John Paul II’s successor. The only thing I do know is that there are two individuals who are frequently named as possibilities, Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Vatican official from Nigeria and Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the archbishop of Milan.

If Arinze succeeds he will make history as the first black Pope. I’m not quiet sure how this would go over in Rome or in the Catholic community.

WHAT I’M WEARING:
I’m still sick as a dog. However, my fever has gone down a bit. Right now I have on a purple pajama set along with purple fuzzy slippers.