The death of two men, PSN Roma & the Illini

The last 10 days have been eventful. From 27 March until 4 April I was in Rome. On 28 March, my cousin, David, passed from this earth. On 2 April, Karol Wojtyla (a.k.a. Pope Giovanni Pablo II) also moved on from the physical realm. On a much lighter side, Pink Shirt Night Roma became reality on 1 April, and the Fighting Illini made the finals for the first time on 2 April, but lost in the finals on 4 April.

Death
At dinner on Saturday, 2 April, our restauranteur informed Chris, Devlin, Mark and myself of the Pope's death. We finished dinner and went immediately to the Vatican City. As we joined the swarm of people heading into Piazza San Pietro, I was a little surprised as my eyes began to moisten and sadness whelmed my soul. What connection do I have to this Pope?

I found myself thinking of my cousin David, and his 19 years, and how that compared to the Pope's 84 years. I was struck by the fact of Karol Wojtyla's humanity, and how he was able to live so long, and so fully, and so admirably. In that moment at St. Peter's, he was fondly revered and remembered and, certainly, he will be missed.

I held my hand over my heart, as I tried to understand the Bishop's Italian words at the midnight ceremony. Those words I could understand were exhorting us to pray, and to thank God for Pope Giovanni Pablo II's example, and to ask for God's will to be done. This was a great message, I was immensely moved. And I was deeply touched to join with my fellow humans: mostly Italians, but many Poles, Latinos, Spaniards, and even a few Americans and others. We were congregating to remember a great man. In this moment, it was easy to forget my general disagreement with the doctrines surrounding the papacy. For we were gathered to honour a great human being, Karol Wojtyla.

All this time I could not help but think of my own recently fallen cousin. David's wake was on 1 April, and his funeral was on 2 April. A few hours after his funeral in Chicago, I heard the news of the Pope's death in Roma. As I stood in San Pietro's to honour Karol Wojtyla, I really wished I could have been at the events commemorating David's life. Nevertheless, as I reflected on the common humanity that I share with both Karol and David, my heart and mind swirled with thoughts and emotions. I thought of how small even a great man like Karol's influence will be on the course of history and the world, and I thought of how large David's influence will be on the lives of those who loved him. I marveled at the way Karol lived his life. I cherished my memories of David's life. I wondered why God gave Karol 84 years, while He gave only 19 to David? I wondered what David might have done with 84 years? I wondered how each of them were enjoying eternity?

Yes, for these and many reasons, I held my hand over my heart, held my head high and listened as the Bishop comforted us in Italian. This was an historical moment, and one I shall never forget.

PSN - Roma
It's only fair to also share some of the lighter moments of my recent life. Pink Shirt Night Roma began at a mysterious pizzeria/bar named Robin Hood, and it ended at a trendy lounge called Fluid. After Robin Hood, we grabbed beers and headed to the Forum, the Julius Caesar Statue, the Coloseum, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain before we entered Fluid. Along the way we found several places to purchase liters of beer and take pictures in our pink shirts.

Highlights of PSN Roma include the PSN Moderator introducing us to every group of American girls we saw by asking, "Are you American?" The best part was that several groups walked near us without realizing that we were American. I am quite proud to say that we appeared to be very Romano!!! Other than that, PSN Roma was brilliant, but I will refrain from writing more details on this blog.

Illini Game
Another fun night in Roma was our night at the Abbey Pub watching the Illini take care of Louisville. Naturally, we were surrounded by Americans, and a few Brits. The Illini prevailed with the help of the Orange tee shirts, head bands, and other Illini gear donned by Bevin, Chris, Devlin, Mark and myself. We were definitely the best-dressed fans in the bar!!!

Farewell
That wraps up my comments on the last 10 days. After all is said and done, I am glad to be back here in the friendly confines of the Palacio. And I am grateful for the time I was able to share with Chris, Devlin, and Mark in one of this world's great cities. And now I look forward to another couple days here in Chicago before I depart for Mexico on 10 April for two weeks.

Buona Noite!