Had to look up the spelling anyway, so here's a reminder just in case. I deleted #3 at the end which said "BLUET." I looked that up too, and it said a flower, perhaps denoting innocence? an addition I really can't fathom.
Main Entry: in·no·cence
Pronunciation: 'i-n&-s&n(t)s
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 a : freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil : BLAMELESSNESS b : CHASTITY c : freedom from legal guilt of a particular crime or offense d (1) : freedom from guile or cunning : SIMPLICITY (2) : lack of worldly experience or sophistication e : lack of knowledge : IGNORANCE <written in entire innocence of the Italian language —E. R. Bentley>
2 : one that is innocent
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All the Pope talk has me longing for a return to innocence. If I'm not too inordinately rigorous with myself I believe I lived in innocence up till about age 14. For example, it never occurred to me as an option to think ill of someone. I'm positive I never characterized anybody negatively, not even in thought. It's true I was on one occasion very angry with a younger brother, and I chased him for two or more blocks then hit him. That doesn't sound too "innocent" does it? The event was so isolated I'm appalled at what I did. Well, I said not too rigorous, and I'm ashamed. My brother Hugh knocked over my windup train.
That state of innocence is thrilling. The much televised weeping for the lost cleric, the recently dead Pope, is partly about fear of losing a connection with innocence, and the thrill of integrity.
The next Pope will be African Black. Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles stated on the news last night that the next Pope will not be American. That's for sure, Father. So, that leaves possibilities from South America (we can forget Mexico, where in my opinion the Catholic Church is in disarray) and from Africa. Like Mexico, the rest of South American Catholic clergy cannot emerge untainted by political turmoil, at least in reputation if not in actuality. So, if the new Pope is to come from Africa, how in good conscience can that choice NOT be Black? To give some idea of how Catholic is much of Africa, there is a full scale duplication of Saint Peters Vatican Cathedral in Africa. I'm embarrassed to admit I do not know exactly where it is located. I think I read that the African duplication is actually bigger. It would be good theater if the Pope were Black. "Theater," you know, is not a dirty word. I simply cannot resist quoting just once more someone I loved: "The Catholic Church is good theater." - Lee Strasberg.
What should we do when our "train" is knocked over? Life doesn't seem to offer many answers. Striving for innocence sounds too abstract. And what do we do with our fear of being tricked, or lied to, or spoken against behind out backs? What many young people do in America (and elsewhere of course) is join a gang. A great deal of ego strength is provided by gangs. That part gets left out of news accounts of the growing number of gang members in America, so many that California is probably about to make it a crime to belong to a gang. Can you imagine? What that offers is an opportunity to sue a compnay that hires a gang member, which would damage the economy!
Is our popular music innocent? How about our movies and television? Innocent? Not bloody likely. How does one measure innocence? By many measures Howard Stern is innocent. This morning he begged, tearfully almost, for his present employer to fire him, release him from the remaining 9 months of his contract. Howard Stern is faithful to his employees and his girl friend and his friends. In many areas he is devoid of guile, lies, defamation, and disloyalty. Notice how he is loved by large numbers of people. He gets along beautifully with both his parents who must be 75 or 80 or more.
One interesting measure of the degree to which we are innocent might very well be how comfortable are we at entertaining ourselves at home alone? Alone we can't so easily escape the infuriating mind chatter that dogs us when we lose our innocence.
Barry
2 comments:
"Innocence" is a common name for the bluet flower, as "Jonny-jump-up" is a common name for the viola tricolor. I wonder, though, ... the color of the Virgin Mary's headcovering is generally shown as blue - the same shade as the innocence flower. So is the headcovering blue because of a deliberate association with the innocence flower? Or is the flower called innocence because it's the color associated with the Virgin Mary? Chicken and egg? Or no association at all? The answer is probably lost in time and theories.
As to where the next pope might come from, an alternate theory is that he should come from an area where the Church is in trouble. John Paul II was noted for his work in rescuing the Church in Poland. His election strengthened and enlivened the Church in central Europe.
Neither theory is "correct", they are all equally valid, but within a month or so we'll know which has more adherents in Rome. See http://journals.aol.com/jaykolb/Moraine/entries/1064 for another take on the selection process.
Gee, I must be thick. Do I have to go to elaborate means
to answer your reply while being able to read your reply.
This way I have to do it from memory. Let's see. Yes, Mary
has a lock on the color blue. I thought it was from Raphael
et al, but where did he take it from?
Your point about a Pope elected from a place in trouble, as
the last Pope was elected from Poland, the trouble came from the
outside, not only from domestic trouble. South American and
Mexican trouble, some of it, exists because of the gutlessness
of the clergy. I lived in Mexico for nearly five years. I saw
the most stunning sights such a children hanging out at a Church
building where there was no priest. There are messups over
land, and who owns it; some of that land is given to the Church
and nothing is done with it for fear of reprisals.
I'll read your take on it. Thanks for your reply.
Barry
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