Entrances and Exits: Fare Thee Well Pope Francis and Mille Failte ghu Minister Scott Rennie
Pope Francis waves to the faithful and the author
with the new Minister of St Giles’ Cathedral, Scott Rennie
Professor Joe Goldblatt
The doorbell rang and my sister said “It is the television news people for Papa’s memorial segment.” They asked if me if we could film the segment in our father’s beloved back garden. A few minutes later the burly cameraman shouted “Rolling!” and the young female news reporter, who new almost nothing about our father, turned to the camera, furrowed her brow to project empathy, and asked “How do you feel?”
I blinked back tears, shook my head and said “grateful” because I was indeed filled with gratitude for Papa’s 84 years that stretched from being forced to sleep on the ground in a tent with his seven brothers and sister due to his parents being unable to to afford housing to becoming a popular and twice elected city councilman in one of the largest cities in the United States.
I explained to the reporter that I was grateful for his love for me, my sister, and our mother. As one example of his unconditional love, I privately and silently remembered when I phoned him to announce that my first wife had run off with another man and he calmly said “Don’t worry, we will help you.”
The next Saturday, the busiest day in his hardware store, I rang him again to ask for further advice and mama said “Papa is on his way to you now.” He drove five hundred miles round trip to spend the weekend with me and then accompany me to the preliminary divorce trial in court on Monday morning. He had never once left the store before on a Saturday.
Papa arrived in the afternoon and took me to dinner and then we checked into a local hotel to await the preliminary hearing on Monday. He seemed supportive and wanted to be sure that I knew that he and mama would help in any way they could. However, much later I realised there was a ‘back story’ to his concern for my welfare.
Twenty years later my sister placed her arm around my shoulder, quietly weeping and asked me “Did you know that mama and papa were divorced for six years during World War II?” When I answered “No” she then asked “Well, how do you feel about this? Afterall, they kept it a secret from us.”
I paused, thought long and hard for a moment about our good fortune in having such devoted parents and replied “I am grateful they remarried and produced me and gave me a beautiful sister.”
My sister, the pragmatic one of our double act looked me in the eye and said “But we gave them a 50th wedding anniversary when they were only married for 46 years!”
I smiled back at her and said “Sometimes, that is enough.”
This past week, over two consecutive days Scotland’s capital city witnessed an entrance and an exit of two great and good men. While attending the Requiem Mass for His Holiness Pope Francis at Edinburgh’ St Mary’s Cathedral I was impressed by the pageantry, however, I was deeply moved by the homily delivered by the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, the Most Reverend Leo Cushley PhB STB SLL JCD. He spoke eloquently of the ability of Pope Francis to connect with all people through his humility and boundless acts of mercy.
The next day I witnessed the induction of the Minister at St Giles’ Cathedral that was founded in 1124 by King David I. Once again, the age old rituals handed down by previous generations insured decorum and respect for the historic values of the Church of Scotland, however, I was particularly impressed by the new minister’s sense of cheerfulness and the realised the importance of good cheer in the life of the Church as well as within the practice of individual faith.
It has been noted by psychologists that the loss of a loved one such as a parent, partner, or prominent person such as Pope Francis is one of the greatest stressors in all of human life. Conversely, the arrival of good news such as the appointment of the right person at the right time can boost our endorphins generating hope to create positivity and even euphoria.
This week I have been fortunate to have a front row seat to both a dramatic exit and a bold and exciting new entrance. In Scots Gaelic we welcome folk with the greeting “Mille Failte” which means “a thousand welcomes”. May each of these coming and going experiences further inspire us to welcome thousands of happy memories and new times, as did my father of blessed memory. Perhaps these departures and arrivals will help us help the rest of this human story unfold with even greater and more successful outcomes for ourselves, our city, and our world.
Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. His views are his own. To learn more about his views visit www.joegoldblatt.scot