The Pope's Funeral

Christine Merser, April 26, 2025

Everyone I spoke with at the end of this work week talked about the Pope and the upcoming funeral this morning. My comment? “It all depends on where they put Trump at the funeral. That’s all that matters right now.”

The Pope made no secret of his disdain for everything the American administration is doing right now, for what our country stands for now, and especially for the idea that immigrants are somehow less deserving of dignity. He put them, very clearly, at the front of the line. More God’s children than anyone else? It would seem to me this moment was a perfect chance to make that statement again.

Maybe the front row should have been filled with people who struggled. Who believed in Catholic theology even when human cruelty failed them. Who suffered the way their Jesus suffered.

But when I would bring up the seating chart, everyone just said, "I haven't thought of that."

That's all I thought of.

Is the world willing to stand up to this tyrant? Are they going to show us the way? If not today, in this moment, when?

So, who is in charge? Who made the decision?

Here’s the thing.

Our country is now deciding, citizen by citizen, family by family, which side we’re on. This moment in our history is a deal breaker. I don’t believe we’ll all be breaking bread together much longer, ignoring the Republican elephants in the room. And now, maybe it’s time to recognize: the world is going to have to make the same decision.

Today, the Catholic Church chose sides. Trump was in the front row, and Joe Biden, a lifelong devotee of their faith, who had so much pain and tragedy in his life that no one would have blamed him for turning away? Row fifteen.

And if this Pope was really everything so many people believed him to be, I have to ask, why was the enemy of everything he stood for sitting front and center?

I believe that the old guard of the Catholic Church is back in charge. And we will take steps backward moving forward (not that I think the Catholic Church has done so well in moving forward under this Pope’s leadership, especially with cleaning their own house). Look for a more conservative Pope when the black smoke turns to white, after they have chosen their next leader.

I used to like the color white. Not so much anymore.