the Light and the Shadows

not far from Michelangelo’s Pietà and the Bernini Baldachin, the faithful gathered in front of the body of Pope Francis. a strange light illuminated the scene within st.Peter’s basilica, a masterpiece of the renaissance. was it an inner glow symbol of destitution and clearance of the ephemeral? the faces were bathed in an immaculate white radiation, as if a whisper, like a last breath, traveled through the nave.

but the solemn atmosphere was soon disrupted.

• the mechanical sounds of keying keyboards
• the crackling of flashes
• the endless stream of selfies

mobile phones had overtaken the inner rustle of contemplation.

the Selfie Culture: a Modern Obsession

the pursuit of fleeting fame in the age of social media was sharply juxtaposed against the backdrop of mourning. andy warhol’s prophecy that with the mass media, everyone would one day know their quarter of an hour of celebrity seemed to materialize in the form of selfies with the deceased pope.

taking a selfie with the pope’s body, some believed, was the promise of a quarter of an hour of eternity and thousands of “likes.” the allure of social media fame overshadowed the somber occasion, as individuals sought to join the paradise of notoriety, seemingly oblivious to the hell of narcissism they were entering.

security agents, overwhelmed, struggled to prevent these modern times prophets from photographing themselves smiling in front of the open coffin. a selfie with the pope is well worth an admonition of the carabinieri, if not worth a mass.

selfies, revealing of a drunk humanity of herself

this behavior, it was argued, signifies the decomposition of a drunk humanity of itself. the question arises: how do those who do not respect death go through this life?

a Glimmer of Hope

amidst the darkness,a small light emerged.in a newspaper photograph, an old woman was seen hidden by the forest of phones and outstretched arms. her face, etched with the suffering of an too ordinary life, told a different story.

this woman, seemingly out of place amidst the vatican splendor, represented the essence of true faith. his age must be around that of the pope,though,it is indeed the youngest,the most beautiful and most alive of all in the photo. she embodied the idea that we will not be judged on the number of followers but on the love that we will have shared.

unlike the infatuated of themselves, this little lady had nothing to prove to the god tiktok. her religion was rather bushy than vertical, her ideas simple and clear like a lustral water. she would not take a selfie of death, barely daring to look at the pope’s body, for fear of disrespecting the soul of françois.

my little lady will never be a prophet in her country but,in the meantime,she has understood everything about the essence of christianity,namely the conciliation of truth and beauty.

pope francis: a Life of Service [3]

pope francis, who died on easter monday at the age of 88 [3], was known as a voice for the poor. his funeral, held on saturday in front of st. peter’s basilica, featured simpler rituals [1], reflecting his commitment to a more down-to-earth approach to the papacy.

faq

• q: when did pope francis die?
  
  a: pope francis died on easter monday [3].
• q: where was his funeral held?
  
  a: his funeral was held in front of st. peter’s basilica in rome [1].
• q: what was pope francis known for?
  
  a: he was known as a voice for the poor [3] and for his efforts to reshape the catholic church.