The "I'm not bettin' on the Pope" Story

Tony

It was an ordinary day.  Just arrived at work and was greeted by Tony who works for Larson/Juhl Framing Co.  Tony was sitting in his panel truck in the parking lot of Grebinger Gallery as I pulled into my usual parking space.  Within minutes he was dropping off the mat board and framing lengths on the counter next to the workbench where I will mat and frame the weekly jobs that have come in to the gallery.  Tony is a Philadelphian and is of medium height and stocky.  Strong as an ox from carrying those heavy boxes of mat board and glass every day.  After talking about the weather, he asks me who I think will become the next Pope.  Since I haven't been following the situation closely, I tell him I really don't have a preference.  Then naturally, I ask him the same question.  "I'm betting on the black guy to be the next Pope," Tony tells me.  I stared at him and responded, "What do you mean you're betting on him?" Then he goes on to tell me what the odds are in Las Vegas for more than a half-dozen Cardinals.  "People really are betting on who will become Pope?" I asked him.  "Sure, you can bet on just about anything if you want to," he tells me.  Then I take another look at him and put two and two together and say to him, "You're Catholic aren't you?"  "How'd you know?  Was it the name?" he said.  "Nah, the halo around your head gave you away," I replied.  He told me about a few of the best bets and how much he would win if the black guy became the Pope.  I didn't even ask him where you go if you want to place a bet on the Pope.  Probably better off if I don't know.  Well, the black guy didn't win and Tony will be depressed when he arrives next week at the back door.  By now we all know that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from South America was named Pope of the Catholic Church.  Took the name of Pope Francis I, after St. Francis of Assisi.  A Lancaster priest said that the choice shows clearly that his heart lies with the poor and the marginalized.  Pope Francis has a great history in the church and he will be a good model.  He now lives in a modest apartment and takes the bus to work every day.  That will change quickly, but he should still have a feeling for the average person.  As my wife and I watched TV, which was rebroadcasting the white smoke rising from the smokestack, we talked about our trip to Italy a few years back and our visit to the Vatican and Assisi.  We stood in the courtyard and looked up at the window where the Pope addresses the people.  Saw the chapel where all the Cardinals marched the evening before on TV and also managed to visit the Sistine Chapel which is unbelievable.  We traveled to Italy with a group from our church and was lead by our retired assistant minister, Mary Lou who had visited many times before.  On the day of our trip to Assisi it was cold and blustery as we stood outside one of the churches in the city.  We were listening to a priest, who was standing on the steps of the church, tell us the history of the architecture of the church when the sleet and freezing rain began to fall.  Carol and I were dressed warmly, but our friend Melissa, who was shivering from the blowing ice, was dancing around trying to stay warm.  She looked at us and gave us this forlorn expression and Carol had to burst out laughing.  Reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where a girl friend of George is playing the piano and Jerry makes Elaine laugh with his Pez dispenser.  (If you never watched the show, my last sentence is meaningless)  I grabbed Carol's arm tightly and told her to knock it off.  Tough to do, I know.  Well, the priest evidently never heard the laughing and continued on with his talk and ..... yada, yada, yada ....... the church was beautiful.  Here's hoping that Pope Francis can help the plight of the homeless and poor in his ministry.  It certainly would be a welcome change in the papacy according to Tony.  And for you Tony, here's hoping you will do better the next time the white smoke billows toward the sky.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.