A devout and holy person.
First, we heard from Father Thomas Rosica, the Salt and Light media magnate, who tweeted a spiritually nourishing message. I have had some worries about Fr Rosica's health lately (it's rumoured that he had a severe case of Repetitive Strain Injury after blocking the entire Catholic Church on Twitter), and I do wonder whether he could have been overworking. It's hard to imagine a man of Rosica's build bopping around to the sounds of David Bowie.
Anyway, Rosica's message was "The world remembers David Bowie with gratitude. He helped us to remember those on the peripheries of life," and he linked to a video of a man with some Kermit the Frog glovepuppets. Time for your lie-down, Father!
Fr Rosica rehearses Space Oddity with Cardinal Tagle.
Well, Rosica is Rosica. A more worrying case was that of Cardinal Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture. I thought at first his Twitter account had been hacked, when I saw that he'd tweeted first a platitude from Buddha, then the following message:
Ground Control to Cardinal Ravasi: Have you been hacked?
I suppose that "culture" can mean many things, including music, literature, and colonies of bacteria, and when you are 73 (as Ravasi is), you may have fond memories of the 1960s and 1970s. Now, no offence to the late David Bowie, but he wasn't particularly Christian. If anything, he was drawn towards Buddhism. Aha, like Cardinal Ravasi, maybe?
So far, Pope Francis has not get joined in the Bowie-mania, except possibly in private. He was last seen plugging launching his new book The Name of God Is Mercy, with the aid of the comedian Roberto Benigni.
"You laughed at Laudato Si', but this is even funnier!"
This isn't good enough, Holy Father! Why aren't you wearing black robes? Why isn't the Vatican flag at half mast? How long must we wait for David Bowie to be canonized?
At least we were spared any puns on his song titles at Prime Minister's Questions. But even so. All this just for David Bowie. What is the BBC going to be like when Gary Barlow dies?
ReplyDeleteThe two contenders for this week's Number One spot are by Elvis Presley and David Bowie. Which latter, of course, it has to be. Apart from their birthday, can you tell what they have in common? Nor has Bowie exactly joined the 27 Club. Pop is becoming its own classical music.
Still, you don't have to live to be 69 in order to marvel at what the great causes of your youth have resulted in. David Bowie was not some pioneer of all things transgender. Or if he was, then that influence took 40 years to be felt.
But if David Jones had been growing up now, then he would probably have been classified as a transgender child, and accordingly subjected to huge doses of powerful hormones, or even to drastic and irreversible surgery.
And then, that would have been that. There would have been no Ziggy Stardust. There would have been no Aladdin Sane. There would have been no Thin White Duke. There would have been no David Bowie.
Think on.
Apparently-- based on a post by Fr Rutler I read earlier this morning-- the solemn & pious editors at l'Osservatore Romano went into a eulogistic frenzy when that other performer, Michael Jackson, died; D.g. I missed that nonsense (or else I just don't remember because of the gin).
ReplyDeleteP Rosica SJ is still blocking me-- I thought the Jubilee would've put an end to that grave penalty.
I actually thought you were joking about Father Rosica. But no it is actually in fact completely true!!!
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/FatherRosica/status/686766595994157056
Oh and I have not yet been blocked by Father Rosica although Salt+Light did block me on Twitter (Genuinely, I have no reason why - maybe I'm too orthodox!!!)
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that has taken all this time for the Vatican to recognise the events that occurred, a long time ago, at the Alamo. If Bowie is to be recognised then why not John Wayne?
ReplyDelete"It's not as we know it, Jim."
DeleteThank you, Mr. S. I thought I was the only one wondering about this course---I thought because I'm in the States, and the time difference.... Someone is finally recognizing the focus of this course we've signed up on. I was seriously beginning to worry!
DeleteMary, as this is an on-line course and Professor Eccles never sleeps, I'm sure your location in the States will not present you with a problem. Happy studying!
DeleteHe just got Sicker.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say. James martin SJ has joined the fray. Likewise a Sister, by the name of Helena Burns is all a-twitter over this sad, pathetic man.
ReplyDeletehttp://torontocatholicwitness.blogspot.ca/2016/01/david-bowie-santo-subito-vatican.html
It all reminds me of the AGONISING that went on at The BBC for THREE MONTHS, when Nelson Mandela popped his clogs !!!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean .... I can let yo have 8 dozen 'Free Nelson Mandela' T-shirts, dirt cheap, by the way
DeleteWill the Pope put on his red shoes and dance the blues?
ReplyDelete