Home sick with the Pope

Lucky me. I have "walking pneumonia." What with an interesting side-effect of steroids, a surge of energy, I seem to have "tap-dancing pneumonia." But I'm home from work for a few days, and I am able to watch a lot of TV coverage of the Pope's death. I'm trying not to get too worked up about the lousy commentators on the Catholic Church, because there are a surprising number of good commentators, too.

Home sick, in a nest of dirty kleenexes and glasses of water with straws in them (a must-have when I was growing up, a glass of water with a straw in it meant you were officially SICK) I was able to watch every stitch of the procession with the Pope's body yesterday from the chapel to St. Peter's.

I channel-hopped among all the major networks and some of the cable channels, and in every case, as the Litany of Saints began, every commentator was caught by the music, the call-and-answer rhythm. Some stations had knowledgeable commentators who offered an explanation of the communion of saints, but even the uneducated anchors were somehow touched and slowed by the music and asked what it was. On CBS, twice, the station anchor asked his color guys to be quiet so they could just listen and watch the procession.

Did you note that they prayed, not "ora pro nobis," pray for us, but "ora pro eum," pray for him? We just sang that on Holy Thursday, asking for the saints and angels to pray for us, and now we commend our Holy Father to their intercession and care.

Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei, intercedite pro nobis!

All you holy men and women, pray for us!